Evangelion Chronicles
by Room3
Summary: Fifteen years after Second Impact, in the year of our lord 2028, the Angels returned. (A 're-imagining' of NGE)
1. And So It Begins

Disclaimer –  
The original story Neon Genesis Evangelion, its characters and all other trademarks are used without permission. The originals are mine, and will be named in the author notes of the first chapter they appear in. I will be making no profit from this story.

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_**Evangelion Chronicles**_  
by Room3

**Chapter 01 **– _And So It Begins_

"Are you certain about the timeframe?" Professor Kouzou Fuyutski, supreme commander of Nerv, asked the woman sat in front of him. He was a tall man in his fifties with short grey hair. He was sat at his desk, reading a report on his computer display. His posture made it clear he wasn't happy with what it said.  
"Yes, professor," Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, his second in command, replied. The doctor was in her late-thirties, and a little shorter than he was, but the professor was taller than most of the people under his command. She had long blonde hair that she wore tied back in a ponytail. As was usual, she wore her white lab coat over her uniform. "The third Angel is expected to appear within the next forty-eight to seventy-two hours."  
"And the status of the first-child?" Kouzou asked, closing the report with a few keystrokes.  
"She has yet to regain consciousness," Ritsuko informed him. "It seems unlikely that she'll be able to pilot within the expected timeframe." Fuyutski sighed and stood up.  
"What's the current status of Unit 02?" he enquired, wandering over to the window on his left. Through it he could see out into the cavernous interior of the Geo-front.  
"It's still weeks away from activation," the doctor answered. "And we don't have time to transfer the second-child here."  
"Then we'll have to use the third," Kouzou said, staring at the lake that lay beyond Nerv headquarters. The sight of water alwayed eased his troubled mind.  
"The third has already been selected?" the doctor asked. The professor turned and looked at her.  
"Yes. He was chosen after the accident with Unit 00," he replied, returning to his desk. Typing commands into his computer, he called up the relevant file and turned it around for her to see. She leaned forward in her chair.  
"Him?" she asked, surprised. "He's the third?" She leant back in her seat and shook her head. "She would never have agreed to this," the doctor commented, looking him in the eye as he sat down.  
"Perhaps. But he fulfils all the relevant criteria. He _is_ the third-child," the professor responded, turning the computer back round and closing the file. "I want you to send Captain Katsuragi to retrieve him. I'll contact the school myself and inform them to expect her."  
"Very well, professor," Ritsuko replied. "Is that all?"  
"Yes, doctor," Kouzou said. She got to her feet and walked towards the door.  
_Katsuragi's not going to like this,_ the doctor thought as the door slid open in front of her.

- - -

The door to Dr. Akagi's spacious office slid open and Captain Misato Katsuragi, the director of Operations at Nerv headquarters walked in. She had very short hair, which seemed to be purple in colour; most people believed that that was a result of the incident that had killed her father. She stopped in front of Ritsuko's desk and saluted.  
"You wanted to see me, commander?" the captain asked formally, standing to attention. The dull brown of her uniform seemed to be at odds with the white decor within the room when Akagi looked up from the report she was typing.  
"Yes, captain," the doctor replied, passing her a file. "The third-child had been chosen. Professor Fuyutski wants you to retrieve him." Katsuragi took the file and looked through it. "Yes, captain?" Ritsuko asked, seeing the look on her face.  
"Isn't this..."  
"Yes, it is," Akagi replied. "He is currently attending the Fujikawa boarding school in Kyoto. You are to bring him to headquarters. Understood?"  
"Yes, sir," Katsuragi replied, saluting.  
"Good. They'll be expecting you tomorrow morning. Dismissed," the doctor told her. The captain turned and walked out of the office, the file under her arm. As she left, she passed the doctor's assistant.  
"She looks happy," Lieutenant Maya Ibuki commented cheerfully as the door closed behind her. Maya was in her late twenties and about average height. She kept her light brown hair short so it wouldn't get in the way when she was working.  
"Fuyutski wants her to get the third-child," Ritsuko told her, smiling.  
"Doesn't he know how she feels about children?" the lieutenant asked.  
"If he doesn't," the doctor replied, "then he will after she submits her report." As she chuckled at the thought, Maya sat down at the small desk she used, which was situated behind the doctor's. "How are the repairs going on Unit 00?" Ritsuko asked.  
"The damaged nerve linkages have all been replaced," Ibuki informed her, powering up the portable computer she'd brought with her. "The damage to the cranium should be repaired by Wednesday." Maya spun round on her chair and looked at the doctor. "How's the report coming?"  
"Slowly," Ritsuko told her, standing up and stretching. "You know how finicky the committee is," she added, sighing. "You done with the systems check on Unit 01?"  
"Yep," the lieutenant replied. "Just got to upload it to the Magi." She quickly typed commands into her computer, transferring her report to the super-computers that effectively ran headquarters. "So... Who's the third-child?" Maya asked coyly. Instead of answering, Ritsuko leant over her computer and called his picture up. "I suppose you could say he's pretty cute, but he's not my type," Ibuki commented, smiling. "He does look familiar though. What's his name?"  
"I'll tell you later," the doctor told her assistant playfully, shutting down her computer. "Right now, I'm going to get something to eat."  
"Tease," Maya called after her as she walked to the door. Dr. Akagi looked over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at her assistant.

- - -

The boy tried not to fidget as he stood outside the boarding school that had been his home for the last few years. It was early morning and there was a chill in the air that made him shiver a little. He still wasn't sure what was going on, only that a representative from Nerv, the organisation that had taken custody of him after his mother had died, was on their way to collect him. He hadn't been told why he was being removed from Fujikawa. Perhaps they had decided the fees were too high.  
"Shinji Ikari?" a female voice from his left asked. He looked over and saw a woman dressed in a dark brown outfit stood next to black car. From the way her short hair caught the predawn light, it looked like it was purple.  
"Yes?" he replied, uncertain of what was going to happen. She walked over to him and held out her hand.  
"Captain Misato Katsuragi, director of Operations at Nerv headquarters," the woman said formally, introducing herself. "I've been sent to collect you."  
"It's nice to meet you," the boy replied, shaking her hand.  
"Come with me," Misato said, walking back over to the car. The boy picked up the duffel bag beside him and followed her.  
"Captain, do you know why I'm being removed from school?" he asked.  
"Everything will be explained at headquarters," she informed him, trying not to sound annoyed by his question. She stopped by the boot and opened it. The captain held out her hand and Shinji passed the duffel bag to her.  
"What about the rest of my stuff?" he asked as his bag was placed into the boot of the car. As Katsuragi moved to one of the back doors, she took her first good look at the boy. He was about the same height as Lieutenant Ibuki. His hair was jet black and was just long enough to brush the collar of the white shirt he wore. Unusually for someone of Japanese descent, his eyes were of a dark green in colour.  
"It will be transferred when it's been packed," Katsuragi replied, opening the rear passenger-side door. She gestured for him to get in. _Glad I didn't bring a driver with me,_ she thought as the boy climbed into the vehicle. She closed the door and got into the driver's seat.  
As she drove off, she saw the boy looking out the rear windscreen in the rear-view mirror. When he looked forward again, he had an almost mournful expression on his face.

- - -

"Enter," Kouzou said in response to the knock on his office door. He had a pretty good idea who it was. Security had reported that Captain Katsuragi and a young boy had entered the facility a short while ago. He turned his back on the view of the lake, and returned to his desk as the door slid open. As he expected, the Director of Operations walked in, with the third-child in tow. The captain stopped in front of his desk and saluted.  
"Commander, may I introduce Shinji Ikari," she said, gesturing to the boy who was standing a few steps behind her. "Shinji, Commander Fuyutski, the head of Nerv," she added to the boy. Shinji smiled and walked up to the desk.  
"Pleased to meet you, commander," he said, holding out his hand.  
"Likewise, Mr. Ikari," Kouzou replied, grasping the outstretched hand firmly. "That will be all, captain," he added, releasing the boy's hand. Katsuragi saluted again and marched out of the office. "Please, sit."  
"Thank you, sir," Shinji said, doing so.  
"I'm sure you have a lot of questions, Shinji."  
"I do, commander."  
"Forget that 'commander' nonsense," the head of Nerv told him. "Only Katsuragi calls me that."  
"Then what should I call you?" Shinji asked, uncertain.  
"If you feel you must use a title, then use 'professor'," Kouzou informed him, leaning back in his chair. Shinji nodded. "It's good to see you again," the professor added, "although I doubt you remember me. You were only four or five the last time we met."  
"To be honest sir, I don't really remember much about anything before my mother died," the third-child informed him sadly.  
"I understand," Fuyutski replied softly, sitting upright and laying his hands on his desk. "Do you know much about what she was doing here?"  
"No, I'm afraid I don't, sir," Shinji told him quietly. "I know she felt it was important, but..."  
"That's okay," Kouzou assured him as he trailed off. "Her work was, and still is, very important to everyone. Not just here either."  
"What do you mean, sir?"  
"Come with me," the professor said, getting to his feet, "and I'll show you."

- - -

"Ah, doctor, meet Shinji Ikari. Shinji, this is Doctor Ritsuko Akagi," Fuyutski said, introducing the boy to the blonde doctor. Kouzou and Shinji had just exited an elevator to find Ritsuko a short distance down the hall. "She's the second in command around here, and also the head of the technical division."  
"It's nice to meet you, Shinji," the doctor replied, smiling down at the boy. "Unit 01's ready to go, professor," she continued, turning her attention to her superior.  
"What's 'Unit 01'?" the third-child asked. Akagi smiled at his question.  
"He doesn't know then," she stated to Fuyutski.  
"I thought it would be easier to show him," he replied. He turned to the boy. "Unit 01 is the reason I had you brought here."  
"If you'll come this way," Ritsuko said, gesturing for Shinji to follow her. She led them to a door with 'Cage 01' stencilled on it. To the left was a slot, into which she inserted a card from the pocket of her lab coat.  
Through the door was darkness, the only light coming from the open doorway. The doctor found the switch to activate the lights and flicked it.  
"What the...?!" Shinji gasped as a giant head came into view, a head that was taller than he was. Its face seemed to be covered by a helmet, which had a large horn on the forehead. It was mostly purple in colour, with green sections that appeared to be almost highlights. The eye slots in the helmet seemed to hold nothing. Looking down from the head, Shinji could see and neck and the beginnings of shoulders. Below that was covered by an opaque red liquid.  
"This is why you are here, Shinji," Fuyutski told the boy, standing next to him. "This is Evangelion Unit 01."  
"Wha-what's this g-got to do with me?" the boy stammered.  
"You are the third-child," Kouzou informed him. "You'll be piloting it."  
"You want me to pilot that thing?!" Ikari asked, shocked. The professor nodded. Shinji looked to Ritsuko, who was also smiling. "Wait a minute, what do you mean I'm the 'third-child'?" he asked frowning.  
"Exactly what it sounds like," Akagi explained. "You're the third child we've found who can pilot an Evangelion."  
"If I'm the third, what about the other two?" the boy asked her  
"The second-child is in Germany," the doctor replied. "And the first..."  
"Was injured in an accident last week," Fuyutski interjected. "She won't be able to pilot for at least a fortnight, and we don't have that kind of time."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Before the weekend is over, we will have to use Unit 01 to defeat the enemy it was built to face," Ritsuko informed him.  
"We call them the 'Angels'," the professor told the boy before he could speak, leaning on the guard-rail of the catwalk and staring at the head in front of him. "We don't know much about them; who they are, or where they come from. But we do know that they are aggressive, and view us as their enemies." Kouzou stopped for a few moments to allow the boy to assimilate what he'd just learnt.  
"This machine is the only thing that can stand against them," the doctor added. "This is what your mother was working on."  
"Defeating the Angels is the reason Nerv exists," Kouzou informed the boy, standing up straight, "and it's why you're here."

- - -

"I'm still not comfortable about using the boy in Unit 01, Kouzou," an elderly voice said over the speaker. "There are too many unknowns."  
"We've already discussed this, Lorentz," the professor said into the phone. "There is no other option at this point. He's the only available pilot, and Unit 02 hasn't be activated yet."  
"What about Unit 00?" the chairman of the Instrumentality Committee asked. "I thought you were almost finished refitting it for combat."  
"We are," Fuyutski answered. He sighed. "But with the incident last week, we've had to go back and re-evaluate the added systems." The commander of Nerv reached up and rubbed the bridge of his nose.  
"I see," Lorentz commented. "Where's the boy now?"  
"He's being fitted for a plug-suit," Kouzou replied. "Once that's done, we'll try a synch-test." He leaned back in his chair, his free hand playing with the cord on the phone.  
"Very well, just keep me informed of his progress."  
"I will," the professor agreed. The line went dead and he put the receiver down, sighing. _He's still worried about the choice for the third-child,_ he thought, standing up and walking over to the window. _Not that I blame him, after what happened with Yui._ He shook his head to clear it as he stared at the lake beside headquarters.  
"I take it Chairman Keele isn't too happy," Ritsuko's voice said, jolting him out of his meditative state. He'd been so lost in his contemplation he hadn't heard the door open.  
"Not really," Kouzou responded absently. "How'd it go?"  
"Fine," the doctor answered. "His suit should be ready by tomorrow morning." She paused for a moment before continuing. "Are you sure you want to try a synch-test without it?"  
"We can't waste any time," Fuyutski reminded her, turning away from the tranquil view of the water. "We don't even know if he'll be able to synchronise with Unit 01 yet." He returned to his seat.  
"True," Akagi stated, sitting in the chair opposite him. "Rei did take several attempts with Unit 00." She looked at him, evaluating his expression. "You don't think he will though, do you?"  
"No, I don't," the commander told her.  
"Why?" the blonde asked.  
"His mother," her superior replied, a sad smile on his lips.  
"Ah! I see."

- - -

"…and that should do it," the bespectacled man said as he finished locking the white clips in place on Shinji's head. He stepped back and Ikari looked up. The man before him was dressed in what the boy took to be the standard Nerv uniform. The overhead lights were reflected in his glasses.  
"Thank you, Mr. Hyuga," the boy said, bowing to him.  
"Just call me Makoto," the technician informed him, smiling. Shinji nodded and took a better look at his surroundings. To his right was a white cylinder, attached to a mechanism that allowed to be lowered into the yellowish liquid below the catwalk he was on. Makoto wandered over to a panel on the wall, the sound his footsteps on the metal surface echoing through the chamber.  
"The neural-clips are in place and ready," he said, pressing a button and activating the com system.  
"Good," the director of Operation's voice replied. "Get him into the test-plug lieutenant," she ordered.  
"Yes, ma'am," Makoto responded, turning the com panel off. He looked back at the boy and ran his hand through his dark brown hair. _I'll have to get it cut soon,_ he thought absently. "You ready?" he asked the boy.  
"As I'll ever be," Shinji muttered, sighing. He fidgeted in the loose black top he'd changed into. _Why the heck did they ask me to change?_ he wondered.  
"Great," Hyuga replied cheerfully, feeling sorry for the poor boy. _You've got no idea what you're in for,_ he thought sadly. He guided the boy over to the cylinder and helped him into it.  
"Good luck kid," Makoto said as he slid the top into place.

- - -

For a moment, the boy was in total darkness, and he had to force himself to breath normally. Then a light came on. Softly at first, then with more intensity. The seat he was in looked like something from an old science fiction movie. In front of him were two controllers with several buttons on each.  
"Can you hear me, Shinji?" he heard Dr. Akagi's voice ask.  
"Yes," he replied, hesitantly, focusing on her voice. _I hate enclosed spaces._  
"Good," she replied, trying her best to reassure the worried youth. "The test-pug you're in is a replica of the entry-plug of the Eva."  
"Eva?"  
"That's short for Evangelion," she explained. "Begin filling the plug," she could be heard to say.  
_Filling the plug?_ the boy wondered. _What does she-_ His ruminations were cut off by the sound of liquid pouring into the enclosed space. It reached his waist before he could react. "What the hell's going on?!" he demanded, panicking as the liquid reached his chest.  
"It's all right, Shinji," Ritsuko said, trying to soothe him. "It's not water and you're not going to drown." The boy held his breath as the strange smelling liquid reached his neck.  
"That liquid is called LCL, it helps with the synchronisation process," the doctor explained. "Once it fills you lungs, it will oxygenate your blood directly." Bubbles burst from the boy's lungs as the burning in his chest became unbearable. He almost choked as he felt the liquid enter his lungs.  
"Just relax and breathe deeply," Akagi instructed. Ikari did his best to follow her instructions and was surprised to find that he could breathe normally. "Let's proceed to the next stage," the doctor said a few moments later. The boy nodded.  
"Electrolyse the LCL," she ordered. Shinji felt a strange tingling sensation on his skin, which seemed to fade after a few moments. Not that it was unsettling, in fact, it felt oddly soothing. "Activate the neural interface."  
"Interface online," another female voice responded, one Shinji didn't know. "Receiving feed. All readings within expected parameters."

- - -

"That's good," Ritsuko commented as she lent over her assistant's shoulder to check the data it displayed. She returned her gaze on the large viewing window in front of her, which allowed her to see into the test-chamber. "Activate the A-10 nerve connections," she instructed.  
"Nerve connections active," Maya reported a few moments later.  
"How's the signal?" the doctor asked her assistant, her hand on the head rest of the petite brunette's chair.  
"It's fluctuating a bit," Ibuki replied, checking the data on her console, "but that's to be expected." She typed in a few commands. "Bi-directional circuits are now open."  
"What about the synch-ratio?" Captain Katsuragi asked from her position in the centre of the room.  
"Synchronisation ratio is at forty point seven nine percent," Ibuki informed her. The purple-haired woman looked at her and frowned.  
"That's just an approximation," Ritsuko interjected, noticing the captain's expression. "We won't be sure about it until he's actually in Unit 01." She looked at her assistant's console. "But at least we know he can synchronise with it."  
"Good," Katsuragi responded, eyes glued to the observation window.  
"Have Makoto run a diagnostic on the system after the test," Akagi whispered to Maya, leaning forward. Ibuki nodded her head slightly. "These harmonics are just incredible," the doctor muttered. "It's amazing."  
"Sure is," Maya replied, smiling reassuringly at the doctor. The blonde caught the grin and returned it, giving the lieutenant's shoulder a quick squeeze.  
"Lower the test-plug to point zero seven," Ritsuko ordered aloud, standing upright. Commands were entered into consoles and the white tube containing Shinji began sinking into the liquid in the test chamber.  
"Um, excuse me, Dr. Akagi?" the child's voice said over the link to the plug, his tone uncertain.  
"Yes, Shinji? What is it?" the doctor asked, looking at the video link on the observation window. It was a one-way link, so as to avoid distracting the boy.  
"What exactly am I meant to be doing?" he asked.  
"No one told you?" Ritsuko enquired, arching an eyebrow.  
"I know why we're doing this test," Shinji told her. "But I don't know what I'm supposed to do." Akagi sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.  
_Of course no one thought to tell him,_ she thought. _Rei already knows what to do. They just assumed he did too!_ She took a moment to mentally review what she'd read in his records from the boarding school before speaking. "Just close your eye and empty your mind," she told him. "As if you were meditating."  
"Okay," Ikari responded, visibly relaxing. His eyes closed and his breathing slowed.  
"Wow," Lieutenant Ibuki muttered a few moments later.  
"What is it?" Ritsuko whispered as she leant forward, not wanting Katsuragi to hear.  
"His synch-ratio just jumped more than nine percent," Maya told her superior. "It's holding steady at forty-nine point eight four percent."  
"Have the Magi checked the figures?" Akagi asked, frowning as she considered the implications.  
"Yes, ma'am," her assistant informed her. "They report an error ratio of only point zero zero two percent."  
_What the heck is going on?_ the blonde doctor wondered as she straightened up and stared at the boy's image. "Lower the test-plug to point zero nine," she ordered.  
"Ma'am? Isn't that a bit much?" Ibuki asked, concerned.  
"If he can't take it, bring it back up," Ritsuko replied. She looked at her assistant and smiled. "Just trust me on this, Maya. I think he can take it."  
"Okay," Maya agreed, entering the relevant commands. In the test chamber, the cylinder was slowly lowered further into the yellow liquid.

- - -

"Where are we going, sir?" Shinji asked the bespectacled technician as he was guided along a gravel path outside the main headquarters building. The path, although well maintained, was not that well used and the boy couldn't help but wonder where he was being taken. He'd been let out of the test-plug about half an hour ago and had spent most of the intervening time in the shower, washing away the LCL. Now he once again clad in his old school's uniform.  
"I've told you Shinji, just call me Makoto, okay?" Hyuga replied, looking at the third-child, who nodded. "And as for where we're going, I thought you might like rest up for a while."  
"I am little tired," Ikari admitted, his feet dragging as they walked. The two of them rounded a corner and a two-storey building came into view.  
"That's where we're going kid," Makoto informed him. "The pilot dorm."  
"Pilot dorm?" Shinji asked, frowning.  
"Sure. Didn't you wonder where you'd be staying?"  
"Not really," the boy replied. "To be honest, I haven't had a chance to think about it." He stopped and his shoulders slumped.  
"Hey, don't worry about it," the technician told him, laying a hand on the boy's left shoulder. "You've had so much thrown at you today; it's not surprising you haven't had time to process it all." He walked up to the door and pulled a key out of his pocket. "After you," he said putting it in the lock and turning it.

- - -

"Captain, I just received word from meteorology; there's an extremely large cyclonic formation headed this way," Lieutenant Shigeru Aoba reported. As usual, he had his long, light brown hair tied back. Katsuragi walked over to his console.  
"How far is it?" she enquired, eyes glued to the main screen.  
"Approximately one hundred miles from the south coast," the long-haired technician replied. "It'll make landfall in about two hours."  
"Have the Matsushiro radar station run a complete break down on it as soon as it's in range," the major ordered, folding her arms. "How long until it reaches our position?"  
"Given its current speed, I'd say about seven hours, possibly eight," Aoba informed her. "You don't think it's just a storm, do you, captain?"  
"No, I don't. Inform Commander Fuyutski at once."

- - -

"Welcome to your new home," Makoto said, closing the door behind himself. The boy stood dumbstruck a short distance from the door.  
"Oh wow," Shinji exclaimed, looking around the large room. There were a number of comfortable looking seats scattered around the area, with a dining room to the left and a wide-screen television further back. "This place is huge!" He took a few steps forward. "Much bigger than the dorm back at Fujikawa."  
"Yeah, well, Professor Fuyutski wanted to make sure you pilots had the best," the technician explained. "On your right you've got the kitchen and laundry room," he continued, slipping into his role as the pilot rep. "On the left are the changing rooms; one male and one female." He walked to the about two-thirds of the way to the back wall. "In here is a study," he said, pointing to a door on the left. "It's been sound-proofed so you won't be disturbed.  
"If you'll follow me," Hyuga said, beckoning him. The boy followed the bespectacled technician as he led him into one of the changing rooms, then out a door on the far side. "This is the gym that's been set up for you guys," he said, arms spread wide and turning on the spot in the middle of the room. The boy's mouth hung open as he looked about the large, airy chamber at the equipment that filled. "Everything's brand new and top of the range," Makoto informed him. By one wall was a staircase, leading to another level which the boy guessed was fully outfitted as well.  
The technician then led the boy back into the large room they'd first entered, obviously some form of lounge, and then up the stairs that were situated against the back wall.  
At the top, Shinji found himself in another large room. This one had been setup like a games room. A pool table sat to one side and the boy spotted what looked like a black disc with wires and red and white sections on it against one wall. There were eight doors leading from the room, the last two almost hidden down a corridor. The bag he'd brought with him was sat on the pool table.  
"The two doors furthest back lead to the two bathrooms; one for the boys, one for the girls," Makoto told him. "The other doors are the suites."  
"Which one's my room?" Ikari asked, looking at the doors. None were labelled.  
"Whichever you want, kid," Hyuga replied. "I know that Rei's taken that one," he added, pointing to the door at the back on their left.  
"Who's Rei?" Shinji asked, curious.  
"Oh, that's right, you haven't met her," Makoto reminded himself, clicking his fingers. "Rei Ayanami's the first-child."  
"The one who's in hospital, right?"  
"Yeah, that's her," the technician said. "So feel free to pick whichever of the others you want." Shinji walked over to the pool table, picked up him bag and headed for the door nearest the stairs. He opened it and looked inside.  
"This'll do me," he announced.  
"Cool," Hyuga replied. "You get settled in and I'll wait for you downstairs." He took a few steps towards the staircase then stopped. "Almost forgot," he said, walking back to the door to Shinji's room. "This is for you," he informed the boy, pulling an object from his pocket and passing it to him. It was a cellular telephone. "In case we need to contact you," the technician explained, catching the boy's expression.  
Shinji watched as Lieutenant Hyuga disappeared and heard him walk down the stairs. He looked at the phone in his hand and shook his head.  
_They think of everything,_ he thought, walking over to the small table that stood beside the bed. Putting the electronic device down on the wooden piece of furniture, he picked up the key which sat there. _Must be the key to the dorm._ he thought, turning his attention to his bag which he'd dropped on the bed. Opening it, he pulled out the one photo he'd brought with him and sat it on the table.  
"Well mom," he said to it, "I'm here."

- - -

"Have the Magi confirmed this data?" Fuyutski asked as he read the report that Katsuragi had handed to him a few moments ago. He'd been reviewing the data from the boy's harmonics test for the last hour or so. Something about the figures bothered him, but he couldn't quite put a finger on it.  
"Not yet, sir," she replied, stood rigid to attention. The professor sighed, closed the file and dropped it on his desk. "Your orders, sir?"  
"Forward a copy of this to the government, along with the radar data from Matsushiro," he said, interlocking his fingers on top of the file. "And have the observation booth prepared; we'll be having guests from the JSSDF shortly." The captain nodded.  
"Should I order a first level alert, sir?" she asked.  
"Not yet," her superior told her, getting to his feet. He smoothed the creases from the front of his black jacket. "We still have a number of hours before it arrives. Just ensure Unit 01 is ready to go."  
"Yes sir," the purple-haired woman replied, saluting. Kouzou nodded to her and she left his office to carry out her orders. He wandered over to his window and stared at the lake.  
_And so it begins,_ he mused.

- - -

About fifty miles from Tokyo-3, the large tornado stopped. For the last several hours it had been passing through the Japanese countryside, uprooting trees and destroying farmland as it went. Against the laws of nature, the snaking column of spinning air became stiffly vertical.  
For a few moments, a stillness filled the air, then a violent tremor caused the water in a nearby river to ripple. The howling winds began to die down, and the swirling mass of air faded away, leaving a black and white giant stood where the eye of the storm had been.  
The cloud that filled the sky melted away, and as the sun began to shine on the humanoid shape, it slowly began to plod forward. Its three-pronged feet sank into the sodden earth as it lumbered towards its goal. Tokyo-3.

- - -

"Has the evacuation been completed yet?" Dr. Akagi shouted over the voices that filled the command centre. Having just arrived from her office elsewhere in the section of headquarters referred to as Central Dogma, she needed to find out exactly what had been done, and what still needed doing.  
"Just getting the all-clear now," her assistant called back as the conversations faded away, the technicians present relieved by the doctor's presence. Ritsuko walked over to Maya's console, looking over at the 'observation booth' and nodding at the assembled generals. The 'booth' itself was nothing more than a raised platform on which visitors could be seated and observe events without getting in the way. Akagi frowned slightly as she spotted Captain Katsuragi leant over one of the seats, talking quietly to one of the occupants.  
"How far away is it?" the blonde-haired woman asked, leaning forward to check the data on Ibuki's display.  
"About fourteen miles, and closing," Makoto replied after calling up the tactical display on the main screen.  
"Heading?" Akagi asked.  
"We can't be sure, but it does seem to be heading this way," the bespectacled technician informed her. The second-in-command of Nerv straightened up and looked at the tactical display. The target was shown as a large red disk on a topographical map. A number of small blue triangles were approaching it.  
"The JSSDF squadron is closing," Shigeru reported. "Intercept in two minutes."  
"How long before the target arrives within the city?" the director of Operations asked, walking over to the doctor.  
"Thanks for joining us," Ritsuko said flippantly. Misato nodded at her superior briefly. _She's up to something,_ the doctor thought. _I just hope she was trying to help convince them._  
"At its current speed, the target will enter the city within the next twenty minutes," Hyuga informed her, making a few quick calculations on his console.  
"Report," Fuyutski ordered as he took his seat on the level above.  
"The evacuation is complete," Misato informed him, turning and saluting. "The target is closing on our position. Current distance is a little under fourteen miles. The JSSDF fighter squadron will be intercepting the target within the next ninety seconds."  
"Status of Unit 01?" the professor enquired.  
"Unit 01 is standing by, commander," the captain replied. Kouzou nodded to her and she returned her attention to the tactical display on the main screen. The commander leant back in his seat and began drumming his fingers on the desk before him; waiting was one of those things that he disliked.  
"I can't believe that they're actually going to try to stop it," Ritsuko commented quietly as she took up a position beside the desk. Fuyutski looked over at her and smirked.  
"Can't blame them," he told her softly. "They think they can do anything. Let them have their shot. We both know they have no chance."

- - -

"Wing Zero, this is Tango Niner. Requesting clearance to engage. Over," the wing leader said over the radio link to the Kyoto Air Base.  
"Roger that Tango Niner," came the reply. "You have a go to engage target on vector eight four mark seven two. Over."  
"Confirming vector eight four mark seven two. Over."  
"Confirmed Tango Niner. Best of luck. Wing Zero out," the base responded.  
"You heard the man guys," the pilot said, speaking to the rest of her squadron. "Light 'em up!" She brought her fighter down to hover in the path of the black and white giant lumbering towards Tokyo-3.  
"Chew on this," she muttered, firing her machine guns at it. "What the hell?!" she cried as her bullets impacted on some kind of orange glow just before the target, which completely ignored her attack and continued on its course. "Dammit," she cursed, peeling off.  
"Tango Five, Tango Four, you are clear to begin," she ordered. Behind her, the two fighter jets carrying heavy duty armour piercing bullets broke formation and began a strafing run at the giant. She quickly circled and saw their bullets suffer the same fate as her own.  
_No effect,_ she thought and sighed. "Tango Three, Tango One, give that sucker something think about."  
"Roger that Tango Niner," the voice of Tango One replied. Two jets shot forward, locking their missiles on the target. The wing leader felt a great deal of satisfaction as the four laser-guided projectiles flew towards the giant. Smoke obscured her view as they exploded.  
"N I," Tango Three reported. "I repeat that is an N I, a negative impact." Just as she'd expected.  
"Pull back boys," she ordered. Somehow, she'd figured it'd come to this. "Viper Four-Four-One, you are green to go. Hit it hard."  
"Roger that Tango Niner," the voice of the pilot of the heavy bomber responded as it descended from the cloud cover. "This is Viper Four-Four-One beginning attack run."  
Tango squadron withdrew as the bomber straightened out. On its belly it carried one of the most powerful weapons in the JSSDF's arsenal, which was almost larger than the aircraft carrying it.  
"Target locked," Tango Niner heard the gunner inform the bomber's pilot. "Missile away!" She watched as the missile dropped a short distance from the bomber's belly before the engine kicked in. In a few short seconds the large weapon closed the distance to the giant and exploded.  
Tango Niner sighed heavily. Just before the blast, she'd caught sight of an orange glow in front of the giant.  
"Sorry guys, did my best," the bomber's pilot said. "This is Viper Four-Four-One, returning to base.  
"Tango Niner, this is Wing Zero, you are ordered to withdraw," the officer manning the radio at the air base informed her. "Better run, they're bringing out the heavily artillery."  
_Heavy artillery?_ she wondered. A moment later, she inhaled sharply._Oh shit!_ she thought, as she realised what the officer had meant. "You heard the man. Clear out!" she ordered.

- - -

"JSSDF squadrons are withdrawing from the combat zone," Shigeru announced loudly, his voice penetrating the murmur of conversations that were filling the command centre as the assembled personnel watched the battle on the main display.  
"You don't think they're going to…?" Akagi asked quietly, leaning over the commander's desk to be sure he heard her.  
"I do believe they are," Fuyutski replied, smiling softly.  
"But that won't do anything."  
"It should slow it down," Kouzou informed her, "which would be sufficient for our purposes." Noticing the doctor's look, he sighed. Before he could say anything further, the whole chamber shook and a deep rumbling filled the room. Displays turned to static and the room was filled with a red glow as the emergency lights kicked in.  
"All external feeds down!" Shigeru yelled, his hands dancing across his keyboard. "Attempting to re-establish."  
"I don't think we need to wait for that," General Sano said, getting to his feet. "I very much doubt that that thing is still standing."  
"I concur," General Hayashibara agreed, putting out his cigarette in the ashtray next to him. "Commander Fuyutski, thank you for your time and hospitality, but I don't believe we'll be needing your services."  
"Let's just wait and see shall we, gentlemen," the professor replied calmly, looking at the observation booth.  
"Very well, we shall humour you a little while longer, commander," Hayashibara said, a small smirk on his face. "But honestly, do you really think that-"  
"External cameras back on-line," Aoba reported, interrupting the general.  
"Bring the feed up on the main display," Ritsuko ordered.  
"Yes, ma'am," the long-haired technician responded, following the order. There was a collective gasp as the screen cleared. Although the ground around it was scorched and blackened, the Angel itself was slightly discoloured and portions of it appeared misshapen, but otherwise it appeared unharmed.  
"Tha-that's impossible!" Sano exclaimed. "That was a direct hit. There's no way it could have survived!" As the assembled personnel watched, a tornado formed around the giant, blocking it from view.  
"But it has," Hayashibara sighed. He shook his head and got to his feet. "Commander Fuyutski, it seems we will be needing you after all. Command of this operation is now in you hands. Best of luck to you." And with that, the JSSDF officers left the observation booth.  
"What's the status of the target?" the professor asked. Akagi left her position and wandered down to the level below.  
"The target is stationary," Makoto reported. "Sensors are showing some unusual energy fluctuations." Ritsuko leaned over his console and reviewed the data.  
"What's your opinion, doctor?" Kouzou enquired.  
"I'd need more time to be sure, but I believe that it's regenerating," she replied. She typed a few commands into the bespectacled technician's keyboard. "Looking at these readings, I'd say we've got roughly…forty-eight minutes before it starts moving again."  
"Thank you, doctor," Fuyutski replied. "Captain Katsuragi," he called. The lavender-haired woman looked up at him and nodded.  
"All personnel, go to level one alert!" Misato ordered, turning back to the main display. "Finalise preparations to launch Unit 01!"  
"I'll prepare the pilot," Makoto informed her, getting to his feet. He marched swiftly from the command centre and headed for the pilot dorm.

- - -

"You ready, Shinji?" Makoto asked the clearly nervous third-child as he finished positioning the neural-clips.  
"I dunno," Ikari replied, "am I?" The boy noticed his hand shake as he reached up to scratch the back of his head.  
"You'll be fine," the technician assured him, smiling softly. "Just relax and don't worry about it. Remember, don't try and make the Eva move. Just think about moving and it'll do the rest."  
"Okay," Shinji sighed breathlessly. He looked up at the bespectacled technicians face. "Let's do it."  
_Poor kid,_ Hyuga thought sadly, careful to keep his smile in place. _You've got no idea what you're in for._ He helped Shinji into his entry plug, gave him a thumbs up and sealed it.  
"Best of luck, kid," Makoto murmured as he watched the plug being moved into position. As soon as it began to enter the Evangelion, he turned away and headed for the command centre.  
_Maybe I should've warned him,_ the technician pondered as he strode along the maze-like corridors. _If things go bad…_ He shook the thought from his head. Nothing was going to go wrong. Simple as that.

- - -

"How is he?" Shigeru asked as Makoto took his seat, his voice barely audible over the commands and reports flying around the command centre.  
"Real nervous," Hyuga replied, his hand flying across his console as he logged on. "I just hope it doesn't affect his ability to synch with the Eva."  
"I doubt it will," the long-haired technician responded.  
"Oh?"  
"I took a look at his pysch profile."  
"You shouldn't have done that," Makoto told him, reviewing the figures that were flying across his screen.  
"I know." There was silence between them for a few seconds.  
"So? What did it say?" Hyuga asked, no longer able to stand the silence.  
"He may be nervous now, but once he's out there, he'll be so focused on what he has to do, he won't feel it," Shigeru informed his colleague quietly.  
"Target status?" Captain Katsuragi requested, halting any further discussion between the two.  
"Energy readings are dissipating," Hyuga reported. "According to Doctor Akagi's analysis, the target should begin moving again in the next sixty seconds." The main screen flashed to life, showing the spinning column of air.  
"Evangelion status?" the captain asked, eyes glued to the main screen. Was it just her imagination, or was it slowing down?  
"The entry plug has been inserted into Unit 01," Maya informed her. "Primary and secondary restraints have been released."  
"Move Unit 01 to the launch catapult," Ritsuko ordered, having returned to the command centre from her office in time to hear her assistant's reply.  
"Yes ma'am," the female technician responded, relived by her superior's presence. She quickly entered the relevant commands and watched as her console displayed the robot's progress.  
"Target is moving again!" Makoto called as the black and white giant, visible once more, began to move forward.  
"Set the route for exit at gate seven," Akagi ordered. Her assistant nodded and her hands danced across her console, programming the launch-tunnel to deposit the Eva as near to the Angel's projected point of entry to the city as possible.  
"Target has entered the city," Makoto reported, leaning back in his seat to look at Katsuragi. Misato and Ritsuko looked at each other, the doctor giving a barely perceptible nod.  
"Launch Evangelion!" the captain ordered turning her attention to the main display.

- - -

Shinji gulped hard as Katsuragi's voice echoed in his ears. A few moments later he felt himself being pushed into his seat as the robot shot upwards. He concentrated on breathing as the G-forces generated by the sudden ascent crushed his chest. He blinked as the tunnel around him rushed by, the blurred motion confusing his eyes. With a sudden unexpected jolt the Evangelion stopped moving. Looking around, Shinji found himself in the city, the night sky overhead clear.  
Taking a deep breath, the new pilot tightened his grasp on the control yoke. Focusing on making the robot move as he had been told to, he felt the cockpit lurch as the Evangelion took its first, unsteady step. Then again, and again, as it slowly moved forward.

- - -

_At least he hasn't tripped up,_ Ritsuko consoled herself as she watched the purple machine stagger forward like a drunkard, its arms swinging limply backwards and forwards. "Distance to target?"  
"Forty-six metres," Makoto reported, checking the figures on his console. "He should be seeing it shortly."

- - -

In the city, Shinji stopped the Eva as it reached what he believed to be one of the main roads. Looking to his left he saw a black and white figure stood there. He gulped as the realisation of what that figure was hit him. It was the Angel. He turned and faced it, forcing back the fear he felt crawling at his mind. He didn't have time to be scared now, he could do that later. For a few moments he just sat there, staring at it.  
Feeling the ground shake, he blinked and realised that the Angel was moving towards him. His heart rate began to increase and sweat began to seep from his pores, his hands shaking on the controllers. Doubt began to flood his mind as the creature in front of him came closer, its black and white bulk appearing even more frightening in the combination of natural moonlight and artificial streetlight.  
After a few steps, the Angel stopped. It slowly raised its right arm, its palm facing the Eva. Shinji frowned as he noticed a disc in its palm beginning to glow.  
"Move you idiot!" Katsuragi yelled at him over the radio. He gasped as he snapped out of his wonderment and tried to leap to one side. A sensation like a sledge-hammer smashing into his chest knocked the wind out of him. Looking at the screen in front of him, his vision blurry around the edges, the Angel appeared to be moving quickly away from him. He felt something hit his back and he realised he was the one moving.

- - -

"What the hell was that?!" the captain demanded as she watched the robot demolish the Obara building as it smashed through it.  
"Some form of compressed air," Makoto reported, reading the analysis the Magi were feeding him. "It impacted with a force of three hundred metric tonnes per square centimetre!"  
"Eva status?" Misato asked she watched it crash to a stop against another building. Rubble fell from the hole, obscuring the view.  
"There's some buckling to the chest armour, but nothing serious," Aoba informed her, stealing a glance at the main display.  
"Pilot life signs stable," Maya added.

- - -

Shinji shook his head to clear it, the sound of debris bouncing off the Eva echoing in the entry-plug. His chest burned slightly as he breathed and his vision was just starting to clear.  
_What the hell was that?!_ he thought, his breathing too ragged to speak. He rubbed his head with his right hand before grasping the control yokes once again. _Gotta get this thing to its feet._ He made the robot grasp the edge of the building and tried to stand.  
"LOOK OUT!" Dr. Akagi's voice screamed over the radio, almost deafening him. Flinching from the volume of her shout, he looked up. A clawed hand appeared from overhead and seemed to disappear beneath Shinji's view.  
Before he could wonder what was going on he felt something squeezing his throat, choking him. He clawed at his neck as the Eva was lifted clear from the partially demolished structure. He could hear voices calling him, but they seemed distant and dim. Spots began to flash before his eyes as he realised what was going on. It wasn't his throat that was being crushed, it was the robot's. He replaced his grip on the controls and willed the Eva's arms to move.

- - -

The Eva's hands juddered as they slowly rose and tried to pry free the claws holding its neck. A few moments later, it raised its dangling feet and brought them up against the Angel's chest. Stretching its legs out as far as it could, the Eva tried to break the grip. The metal structure of the robot groaned as it struggled to free itself.  
In one quick movement, the Angel brought the claws of its other hand over Unit 01's abdomen and the impaled the purple machine.

- - -

Shinji's scream of agony filled the command centre as the personnel watched, stunned. For what seemed like an eternity, no one could do anything but stare at the main screen, watching as a red liquid that looked like blood flowed over the Angel's claws and on to the street below.  
"Pilot status?" Misato asked, her tone professional as she forced her concern to the back of her mind. The boy's shrieks faded as he lost strength and gave into the pain.  
"His life signs are erratic," Maya reported quietly, blinking the forming tears from her eyes. A small window on her console's display was open, which she had been using it to watch the third-child in action. Now it showed her the boy curled into a foetal position in the control seat, rocking backwards and forwards as he whimpered softly, a sound the technician found even more terrible than his previous screams.

- - -

The Angel pulled its hand free from Unit 01's body, the red fluid shooting from the wound. The once taut legs of the robot sagged, then dropped and hung lifeless below it. Relaxing the grip on its neck, it fired another stream of air into the Eva's neck, allowing it fly free. The purple machine hurtled backwards, its arms and legs floating limply, smashing through the middle of one building. The tower block collapsed as the robot continued to be propelled further. It hit the ground and skidded along the road, sparks flying. It came to a halt by crashing into the base of a multi-storey car-park.

- - -

"Pilot has lost consciousness!" Maya shouted over the barrage of reports flying around the command centre. She looked at the small window she had been watching. His head hung limply to one side, his mouth slightly open.  
"Is he injured?" Akagi asked as she leant over and looked at her assistant's console.  
"A few bumps and bruises," Ibuki replied, checking the physiological data her station was receiving. "But nothing serious."  
"The Angel is closing on the Eva," Makoto said. All eyes turned to the main screen as the black and white figure approached the Evangelion as it lay part buried in the building that had stopped it. The vibrations caused by its footsteps causing the structure to shake. As it neared, it slowed and began planting its feet more firmly on the ground, almost stomping as it moved.  
Shigeru was the first to spot the fractures spreading across the car-park's surface but before he could say anything, the building collapsed, burying Unit 01 under tonnes of concrete and steel. As the dust from the collapse cleared, the Angel could be seen clearly, standing a few metres form where the robot lay buried.  
"We've lost the signal from the entry-plug!" Maya cried as her screens went blank.  
"Which one?" the doctor enquired of her assistant.  
"All of them!" the lieutenant replied, gesturing to her screen. "Life support, power consumption, thermal output, everything! It's gone completely silent! Nothing's transmitting!"  
"Is he dead then?" the captain asked, turning her gaze back to the main screen.

To be continued…

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**Author Notes –**  
And there you have it, the first chapter of Evangelion Chronicles. Sorry about the long wait, but it's taken longer than I would've liked to plan this out. Please remember that this is a 're-imagining' of Neon Genesis Evangelion and, as such, will probably vary greatly from the original's storyline. Hopefully this story will be entertaining and hold a few surprises. I say this now as a warning – some people may find certain aspects of some things in it disturbing. And if you think I need to increase the rating, please let me know and I will do so. It is not my intention to flout 's rules.  
Any way, enough from me. Please let me know what you think of this. I intend to keep writing, mainly because I believe it's worth it. If you have any suggestions, let me know. They will all be considered. And who knows, I may even use them. My email address is I'll try to respond to all correspondence, but working fulltime means most of my downtime is consumed writing.  
It may be anything up to a month before the next chapter is ready. I've got most of it planned, but those plans could (and probably will) change.  
Thank you for reading. Regards, Room3

_Original characters –_  
General Sano, JSSDF  
General Hayashibara, JSSDF


	2. Aftermath

**Disclaimer –**  
The original story Neon Genesis Evangelion, its characters and all other trademarks are used without permission. The originals are mine, and will be named in the author notes of the first chapter they appear in. I will be making no profit from this story.

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_**Evangelion Chronicles**_  
by Room3

**Chapter 02** - _Aftermath_

The Angel stared passively as the rubble where its enemy laid buried. Minutes passed and nothing happened. Then it turned and began moving in the direction it had been before it had been distracted.

- - -

Hope for the survival of the pilot had faded as the minutes had passed and no signs of life were visible from the command centre. Maya closed the small video window she'd been watching Shinji on, fighting back the sobs which threatened to rack her body. Shigeru and Makoto just looked at their consoles, their faces blank, each trying to figure out just what to do next. Captain Katsuragi stared at the floor beneath her feet, silently cursing the Angels for having taken another life and renewing her vow to destroy them, no matter the cost. Ritsuko had backed up against the wall behind her and, leaning against it, was pinching the bridge of her nose, trying to keep back the tears she felt burning her eyes.

The sound of stone hitting stone filed the soundless chamber and all eyes turned to the main screen in time to see a purple arm shoot out from under the rubble and grasp the Angel's ankle.

"Has he woken up?!" Akagi gasped, staggering towards the main screen.

"Unknown!" Maya yelled back. "We're still not getting any signals from the entry-plug!"

- - -

The Angel turned to face whatever was restraining it and watched as Unit 01's head and shoulders rose from the rubble, an unearthly growl filling the street. One of the Angel's clawed hands reached out to grasp the Eva, but the robot intercepted it, grasping its wrist and crushing it. A howl unlike anything anyone had ever heard echoed through the deserted streets.

The purple machine released its grip on the Angel's ankle and flung it aside, sending the black and white figure tumbling into a high-rise office block, shattering windows and bending the buildings internal framework.

The Evangelion got its feet, fragments of what was once the multi-storey car-park tumbling to the street. Once upright it stared at the Angel for a moment, then its mouth opened and a deafening roar issued forth, before it charged at its enemy, smashing it back into the building it was pulling itself free from hard. The impact ripped the structure free of its foundations and it slid across the city streets for a while before the superstructure collapsed and the building fell apart in a cloud of concrete, metal, glass and dust.

The Eva stared intently as the dust disapated, leaning forward and apparently panting. Two glowing discs appeared and a breeze began to blow. At first gentle, it quickly increased in ferocity until it passed gale force strength. Unit 01 brought its arms up to shield itself from not only the wind itself, but also the debris that was being flung at it and growled again. As the wind whipping at it became even stronger, the purple robot was forced to take a few steps backwards as the wind tried to topple it. The Angel took a couple of steps forward, causing the Eva back further.

Throwing its arms out and its head back, the Evangelion roared mightily and charged at the Angel, completely ignoring the incredibly powerful currents of air directed towards it. Once close enough to the black and white giant it threw its fist forward. An orange glow, appearing like some kind of film, intercepted the punch. Growling, Unit 01 pushed harder, straining the glowing field and tearing through. The Angel went to take a step backwards but it was too late and the Eva's clenched fist smashed into its face.

As the wind began to die down, the Angel's undamaged arm reached up and it took hold of the Eva's throat once more. Seemingly calm, the robot gripped the arm and twisted it hard, breaking the limb. Pulling back its fist, the robot released its hold on the Angel's arm. Tickles of liquid could be seen running down the giant's face, its colour unclear due to the lack of lighting.

The air around the pair began to spin and a tornado formed, quickly hiding them from view.

- - -

"Detecting an energy build up from the target," Makoto reported, still stunned by the Eva's performance. All eyes but his had remained to the main screen. He turned his view back as the spinning mass of air began to glow.

"It's going to self-detonate," Misato stated calmly. "It knows it can't win." Akagi looked at her. She was about to say something when a blinding light filled the command centre and the chamber shook.

Maya blinked her eyes to clear the spots as she hid her face in her hands. Confident they had gone, she looked around her. At first she was worried that the flash had damaged her eyes as everything had a red tinge to it, but she quickly realised that the emergency lighting had kicked in. Remembering what had just happened, she looked up at the main screen. The image was distorted and the signal poor, but she could just make out the back of the Eva, stood where it had been before the blast. As the image cleared, the robot turned to face the onlookers before kneeling down and bowing its head, shutting itself down.

A beeping from her console caught her attention, and Ibuki looked down to see that the telemetry signals had returned. As she informed her superiors, she reopened the video window to the entry-plug and sighed as she saw the boy. He was still breathing; unconscious, but breathing.

"Pilot status?" the blonde doctor asked, her eyes on the main screen.

"Unconscious, but he's alive," Maya replied, checking the physiological signals she was receiving. Her brow furrowed slightly. She blinked then looked again at the physiological data she was receiving. _Must have been my imagination,_ she mused.

"Captain Katsuragi, begin the retrieval operation," Fuyutski ordered from his position, getting to his feet.

"Yes, sir," the lavender-haired woman responded, saluting him before issuing the necessary orders.

"Doctor Akagi," the commander continued. Ritsuko looked up at him. "Have the Magi run a full analysis of the battle, include all sensor data as well as a diagnostic of Unit 01. Bring it to my office when it's ready." Akagi nodded. "Lieutenant Hyuga, inform the infirmary that the third-child will require their services. I want him to have a full physical, just to be on the safe side."

"Yes, professor," Makoto replied.

- - -

"How's the diagnostic going, Maya?" Dr. Akagi asked her assistant as the door to her office slid closed behind her. The petite brunette was sat at her desk, tapping at the keyboard in an apparently random fashion. She blinked as she looked up, her eyes tired from keeping up with the stream of data being relayed to her screen.

"Not too bad," the lieutenant replied, taking the opportunity to stretch her arms out over her head. Feeling her sinews crack, she collapsed into her seat with a sigh. "The Magi still can't find anything wrong with the data recorders though," she added as her superior took her seat at her own desk. Ritsuko nodded as she processed what Maya had just told her. There had to be something wrong with them. Why else would every one of the dozen or so internal recorders in Unit 01 show nothing but static for the duration of the battle?

"Have you tried using data retrieval?" the blonde asked, lost in thought.

"Running it now," Maya nodded.

"Are the repairs to the Eva finished?" Ritsuko asked.

"There weren't any needed," her assistant replied.

"How's that possible?" the doctor asked, her tone almost unbelieving. "We all saw the damage the Angel did."

"I know, but I looked it over myself," Ibuki informed her. "There were no signs of the wounds the Angel inflicted." She sighed and ran her had through her short hair. "I take it the clean-up is finished?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Finally," Akagi answered tiredly, leaning her elbows on her desk and rubbing her eyes. "Katsuragi can be such a pain sometimes." Maya smiled, the captain was well known around headquarters for her perfectionist nature. "Any word on Shinji?"

"Not yet," Ibuki replied sadly. "Makoto's going to wait in the infirmary until he wakes up. It's not as if he has anything else to do, with Rei being in there as well."

Ritsuko activated her computer and logged on to check the analysis of the data gathered during the battle the day before. Although she struggled not to, she yawned as the figures appeared on screen. She blinked and tried to focus on the screen, but her eyes kept going blurry. Leaning her head back to look at the ceiling, she hissed as the muscles in her neck cramped.

She was about to massage the tender spot when she felt another pair of hands on her neck. Looking back, she saw her assistant stood behind her. She smiled her thanks before bowing her head and letting the brunette's hands work at the sore spot. Sighing, she closed her eyes as the hands moved down her neck and began to work the kinks out of her shoulders.

"You should take it easier," Maya told her softly, her fingers kneading the knotted muscles. "If you get yourself too worked up, you'll be no good to anyone." The doctor reached up and laid one of her hands on top of Ibuki's, stopping the massage.

"You know what, Maya? You're absolutely right," she said, opening her eyes and looking up. She leaned forward in her seat, quickly turned her computer off and stood, turning to her assistant. "The data will still be here tomorrow. Let's get out of here." Maya smiled and wandered slowly over to her own desk, shutting down her laptop. She grabbed her jacket from where it hung on the back of her chair.

"Where to?" the brunette asked her superior, a soft smile on her lips.

"I believe I still owe you dinner, don't I?" Ritsuko asked. Her assistant nodded. "Then come on. I know just the place."

- - -

Shinji blinked as he opened his eyes, the overhead strip light blinding him momentarily before his eyes could adjust. For a few moments he just lay there, his mind blank, as if conscious thought had yet to return to him. He blinked again.

_Where the heck am I?_ he thought, realising that the ceiling was unfamiliar to him. Sitting up, he hissed as his chest began to throb. Looking around himself, he realised that he was in some kind of medical centre. _How'd I end up in here?_ he wondered, rubbing his forehead and finding it bandaged. He licked his lips and grimaced at the disgusting taste that filled his mouth.

He looked over to the door as he heard it slide open. A bespectacled man who was dressed in a beige outfit and looked like he was in his late twenties walked in. _I know him,_ the boy thought, trying to remember where from. _Makoto. That's it, Makoto Hyuga._

"How you feeling, Shinji?" the lieutenant asked, walking over to the stool beside the bed.

"Confused," Ikari informed him, lying back down. He stared at the ceiling for a few moments. "What happened? How come I'm in here?"

"You mean you don't remember?" Makoto asked as he sat down, surprised.

"I remember…" the third-child started, trailing off. "I remember getting into the entry-plug and the Eva being launched." He paused, blinking. "Then the city," he continued, his speech punctuated by gaps as he tried to recall the events. "A black and white figure. Pain. Wind." He brought his hands up and covered his eyes, sighing sadly. "Everything else is just a blur."

"That black and white figure was the Angel," Hyuga told him. "And Unit 01 defeated it, we're not just sure how."

"What do you mean?" the boy enquired, sitting up again. He winced as he felt the pain in his chest again.

"You were knocked out and we lost the telemetry from the Eva," the technician explained. "The unit was buried in a collapsed building. Then it just got up and attacked the Angel."

"It did? By itself?"

"Yeah. We were all pretty surprised," Makoto related, pushing his glasses back on to the bridge of his nose. "Once the Angel was gone, it just knelt down and shut itself off. Then we got the telemetry back and you were still unconscious."

"How long have I been out?" Shinji asked.

"I'd say it's been about thirty hours, but that's only a rough figure." Ikari opened his mouth to speak, but the words died in his throat as the door opened again.

"Ah good, you're awake," the doctor said as she made her way over to the bed. "We were beginning to worry," she added, trying to reassure the boy; his file said he didn't like medical professionals. "How do you feel?"

"A little tired," Shinji said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"He's suffering from some memory loss," Makoto told the doctor.

"Well that's only to be expected considering the cranial trauma he suffered," she replied calmly. "I'm afraid there's no way to tell whether or not you'll get those memories back."

"That's okay," Ikari replied, shrugging. "I'm not sure I want them back."

"Lieutenant," the doctor said, turning to Makoto, "I believe you were to report in when he woke up."

"Oh yeah," Hyuga smiled. "I'd best go do that," he added, getting to his feet and making his way to the door. "It shouldn't take long. I'll see you soon," he added, stopping in the doorway as he spoke before allowing the door to close behind him.

"Now," the doctor said, pulling a small flashlight out of her pocket, "I just need to run a few quick tests, Shinji. It should only take a couple of minutes."

- - -

"You've created a public relations nightmare," Lorentz Keele's voice intoned over the telephone. "It's going to take a lot of work to repair Nerv's image," he complained.

"I know, Lorentz," Fuyutski sighed, the fingers of his right hand fiddling with the phone cable. "But if we stress what would have happened without the Eva, we should be able to handle the fallout."

"What about the injured?"

"Well, technically, the Tokyo-3 administration is responsible for their welfare," Kouzou answered, leaning back in his chair. "We did warn them that the battle might spread from the areas they choose to evacuate. In the eyes of the public, they're the ones at fault."

The elder man's sigh could be heard clearly over the phone. "At least there were no fatalities," he said. "We should be grateful for that much. Have you any idea what happened yet?"

"Not yet, no," Fuyutski informed him. "The data recorders onboard were affected as well. We're running a diagnostic to see if there's a fault somewhere, and Lieutenant Ibuki's seeing if the data was somehow erased after the battle."

"What about the Angel?"

"I'm afraid there's not enough left to analyse. The explosion did its job to perfection."

"I see. And what of the pilot?"

"I received word that he'd woken up a few hours ago," the professor replied. "Unfortunately he won't be able to tell us anything. He's suffering from some short-term amnesia brought on by a cranial trauma he received during the battle." Fuyutski pulled a file folder across his desk as he spoke. He leafed through it for a few minutes before closing it and pushing back to its previous position. "I've decided to enrol him in the local high school," he said, his fingers drumming on the desk.

"And why are you doing that?"

"His psychological profile indicates that he needs contact with people his own age," Kouzou related. "I'll let him have a few days rest first, allow him to settle in."

"I see. And the first-child?"

"I'm afraid there's no change in Rei's status as yet," the professor sighed. "But the doctors assure me it's only a matter of time until she recovers."

"How much time though?"

"I wish I knew, old friend." Fuyutski paused for a moment, his eyes glued to his desk. "Oh, and I've also enrolled her in the school as well. She needs more social interaction."

"That I am not so sure about, but it can wait for another time," Keele said, his tone slightly agitated.

"I'm sure it will," Kouzou agreed. He looked up as his door opened and Ritsuko walked in. "Is there anything else? I've got a meeting."

"Nothing that can't be dealt with later," Lorentz replied as Akagi made her way to the professor's desk and sat down in the empty chair in front of it. "Oh, and by the way, I'll be coming to Japan in the next month or two. Some contracts or some such thing that need me to be there."

"We'll have to meet up then," the commander of Nerv said. "It's been too long since we've spoken face to face."

"Yes it has. The committee will be meeting on Friday."

"Very well. Until Friday." The line went dead with a click and Kouzou put the handset back on its cradle.

"Chairman Keele?" the blonde doctor asked. Her superior nodded. "I suppose he had a few choice words to say."

"That's one way to put it," Fuyutski replied.

"Did you tell him about the spontaneous tissue regeneration?"

"No," the grey-haired man said, shaking his head. "I don't think that's something he needs to know about."

- - -

Rolling on to his side, Shinji looked at the clock beside the infirmary bed he lay in. He blinked a couple of times before his tired eyes focused on the numbers. He sighed heavily and turned his head away from the glowing digits.

_It's gone four and I still can't get to sleep,_ he thought sadly. He rolled onto his back and stared at the dark ceiling overhead. He couldn't really see it, the dim glow of the clock and the light coming from under the door weren't sufficient. Sighing again, he sat up and rubbed his eyes. "This is pointless," he muttered softly.

Kicking off the covers, he swung his legs round and put his feet on the floor, jumping a bit at the touch of the cold surface. Leaning over, he swung his hand around until he found the slippers Makoto had brought him the afternoon before.

Putting them on, he switched on the small lamp sat on the unit next to the bed, grimacing and blinking while he shielded his eyes from the sudden brightness. Once accustomed to the illumination, he got to his feet and picked up the neatly folded dressing gown from the stool where it lay. Once he'd tied the cord, he flicked off the lamp and padded over to the door. He closed his eyes before he depressed the switch which would open it. He heard the door slide open and took a step forward to keep it open. Slowly he opened his eyes.

The corridor wasn't as brightly lit as he'd expected, but it was still more than the bedside lamp. Rubbing his eyes, he began to walk down the hall, only dimly hearing the door hissing closed behind him. He slipped his hands into the pockets of the robe as he walked, not really paying any attention to where he was going.

He shortly found himself in what he took to be a waiting room. There were about a dozen or so chairs dotted about, and a large window in the back wall. Yawning, he moved towards the window and sat down in a seat beside it, resting his right hand on the cold surface. Shinji shifted in the seat and rested his crossed arms on the window ledge, his eyes taking in what he took to be the view of the geo-front at night.

_It looks peaceful,_ he thought sleepily, resting his head on his arms as he continued to gaze through the glass. His breathing slowed as he brought his feet up under him and his eyelids became heavy. After a few minutes he succumbed to the fatigue that gripped him and drifted off.

- - -

He awoke with a start, looking around with a confused look on his face.

"Sorry, kid, didn't mean to startle you," the cleaner said. Shinji looked at him, realising that what had awakened him was the noise of one of the chairs scrapping across the tiled floor. Ikari blinked a couple of time to clear the fuzziness in his vision and smiled at the elderly figure.

"It's okay," the boy assured him. "I just got lost in thought for a bit." He got up and, yawning, resumed his walk. Less than a minute later he heard voices coming from an open door. The sign on it read 'Head Nurse'.

"Any new visitors for Ayanami?" one female voice asked. Shinji recognised her voice, she'd spoken to him the day before.

"No," another replied. "Still only the professor and Hyuga. It's sad really."

"I know," the first responded. "Not that she'd know if she did. Poor girl." The voice sighed. "I hate to think what happened to her."

"It's all hush-hush," the second told her colleague.

"Is this the girl in the isolation room?" a third, younger sounding voice asked.

_They must be talking about the first-child,_ Shinji thought as he listened. When Makoto had taken him for a walk the day before they'd passed the isolation rooms; only one had been occupied.

"Uh-huh," the second voice replied. "Rei Ayanami. She's had a couple of visits from Professor Fuyutski and the pilot rep, but no one else."

"Doesn't she have any friends?" the third asked.

"Haven't seen any," the first replied. "Nor family for that matter."

_I guess I'll be working with her,_ the boy thought, _so I might as well find out who she is._ He slipped away and headed back to his room. He knew the way to the isolation rooms from the one he was in after all.

- - -

The door slid open in front of Shinji and the boy was surprised to see the light in the room was on. The quiet beeping of the heart monitor and the rasping sound of the ventilator filled the room. He padded over to the stool beside the bed and sat down before taking a good look at the girl lying in the bed.

He guessed she'd be about his height when stood up; she certainly looked about his age. Her hair, what wasn't covered by the bandages on her head, was a very pale blue, almost liliac. Her skin was also very pale, as if she'd never been out in the sun for any prolonged period. Her right eye was covered by a bandage, as was her left forearm.

Electrodes on her forehead connected her to a machine that the boy didn't know the name of. He guessed it was meant to register her brain activity, but couldn't tell whether it showed an unusual level or not. Her chest rose and fell in time to the rasping from the ventilator, the heart monitor beeping steadily.

"You must be Rei Ayanami, the first-child" Shinji said softly, looking at her face. "I'm Shinji Ikari, the third-child. I heard you got injured testing Unit 00." He yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Makoto's really worried about you," he continued, "seeing as you haven't woken up yet." He sighed heavily.

"This is stupid," he commented. "I don't even know you, let alone whether you can her me or not." He leant forward and looked at the floor. "I guess I just needed someone to talk to." Hearing the door hiss open, he turned his eyes towards it.

"There you are," Makoto said, his tone sounding slightly annoyed. "I've been looking all over for you."

"Sorry," the boy replied, turning his attention back to the girl. "I was going for a walk when I heard the nurses talking about her. How come her family hasn't come to see her?"

"She doesn't have any," the technician answered softly, walking over to the bed. "Professor Fuyutski took her in when she was a little girl.

"So she's an orphan," the third-child responded sadly. "Like me."

"We better get you back to your room," Hyuga said gently, laying his hand on the boy's shoulder. Shinji looked at him and nodded. He got to his feet. He was about to walk away when a sudden impulse gripped him. He reached down and took one of Rei's hands in his.

"Nice to meet you, Rei," Ikari said, giving the pale hand a gentle squeeze. He let it drop back to the bed and he and Makoto left the room.

- - -

"Any idea when the next Angel's due?" Shigeru asked his colleague as he sipped on his coffee. Makoto turned and looked at him, rubbing his eyes before speaking.

"No," the bespectacled technician replied. "Why?"

"So I can book a holiday for then," his long-haired friend joked. "I'm kidding," he added at Hyuga's stern look. "Okay, maybe half kidding," he admitted as his friend continued to stare at him. He sighed. "I don't wanna have to go through that again. Talk about brutal!"

"I know what you mean," Makoto responded, turning his attention back to the screen in front of him. "But personally, I'd rather be here."

"Huh?"

"I don't think I could handle just sitting around during an attack," Hyuga replied, his hands hovering over his keyboard. "At least we're doing something, even if it is hell on the nerves."

"I guess you're right," Shigeru conceded, closing his eyes.

"About what?" Maya asked as she approached her seat; she had a thick file folder under her left arm.

"About how much of a workaholic you are," Aoba quipped before Makoto could say anything. "Don't you do anything but work?" he asked as she laid the folder down next to her console. She merely smiled.

"Actually, we were wondering when the next Angel's gonna show," Hyuga said. He hadn't looked up from his display and so had missed her grin.

"Hopefully not for a while," Ibuki replied.

"Hopefully," Makoto agreed. "At least then we'll get a chance to give Shinji some training."

"Poor kid," Shigeru commented. "Sure am glad he's okay."

"Speaking of the pilot's, Rei's improved," Maya reported, her eyes scanning one of the many reports that had been in the folder.

"Really?" Hyuga asked.

"That's good to hear," Aoba said.

"Yeah," the petite brunette responded as she began typing. "It's weird though. Her neural activity spiked about half six this morning before settling to an almost normal level."

"That is weird," the long-haired male responded, stroking his chin.

"You sure about the time, Maya?" Makoto asked, frowning.

"That's what the doctor said," Ibuki answered. "Why?" she asked, looking over at him as he leant back in his chair.

"Because when I went to see Shinji this morning he was sat with her," he informed her. "And it would have been around that time."

"Certainly strange," Shigeru remarked. "Do you think she reacted to him?"

"Could be," Maya muttered thoughtfully. "Did he touch her at all?"

"Yeah, he squeezed one of her hands before we left," Makoto replied.

"I'd better go tell …Doctor Akagi," Maya said getting up. She quietly hoped that neither of her co-workers caught her pause. She berated herself for her slip as she began to walk away. Shigeru watched her retreating form until the door to the command centre slid shut behind her.

"Wonder what that was all about," he muttered before refocusing his attention on his console.

- - -

"Where do you want this box, Shinji?" Hyuga asked the boy as he stepped in the boy's room. Ikari stood and looked around box-strewn room for a moment.

"Just leave it by the door," he said. "Thanks for your help, Makoto," he added as the technician deposited the container on the floor.

"Hey, no problem, kid," Makoto assured him. "I am the pilot rep. after all. So this does kinda fall under my job description." He took a few steps away from the door. "I'm just sorry it took so long to get the Academy to send all your stuff over. Hard to believe it took them three days to get it packed and shipped."

"They're kind of under-staffed these days," the third-child said softly.

"You miss it, don't you?"

"I guess," Ikari sighed. "It's been nice to have a place to myself these past few days, but now… This place is kinda lonely."

"That's because you're used to living in a full dorm," the bespectacled man explained. "Not to worry. Rei should be back after the weekend," he said smiling. "Not that you'll notice much difference," he muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" the boy asked. He'd heard Makoto say something, but hadn't been able to make it out.

"Oh nothing," the technician replied quickly. "Just reminding myself to do some shopping on the way home." The boy picked a relatively small sealed box off the floor and sat it on the bed. Reaching for the scissors that lay on the bedside table, he sliced it open, wishing that whoever had packed his belongings had had the presence of mind to label what was in each one.

Opening it, he found it contained his SDAT player and music collection. He looked about the room for a moment before deciding to put them on the shelf over the desk, which was against the wall furthest from the bed. Stepping over the other boxes, he carried the cardboard container to the desk and began to organise the cases.

"Speaking of school," Makoto said uncertainly a few moments later, "Professor Fuyutski's had you enrolled in the local high school."

"He has?" the boy asked, his hand resting on tape case he'd just placed on the shelf. He frowned for a moment before sighing. "I'd wondered what was going to happen about school," he said quietly.

"Does that bother you?" Hyuga asked, his concern obvious.

"A little, maybe," Shinji replied, his hand dropping into the near empty box. "To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about it."

"Well, don't sweat it, kid, the professor thought it would be best to let you settle in first," Makoto told the third-child. "You start on Friday."

"What about books, supplies?"

"I'll take care of it."

- - -

"Ah come on, Kensuke, be serious," Hikari Horaki told her friend as they walked into the classroom, her light brown hair tied in her usual twin pigtails. Her freckles were almost indistinguishable, due to the fact she hadn't gotten much sun recently.

"I am being serious, Hiki," Kensuke Aida replied in earnest, running his hand through his close cropped dark brown hair. "I'd love to get inside that robot."

"Toji," she whispered as she spotted their friend sat at his desk along the far wall staring out of the window. Taking the hint, Kensuke dropped the subject and adjusted his glasses.

"Morning, Toji," he said cheerfully as he sat down at his desk. Toji Suzuhara looked over at his two friends.

"Hey," he said flatly.

"How's Noriko?" Hikari asked, knowing he'd have gone to see his sister on his way to school, as she put her bag on the floor beside her desk, which sat directly behind Toji's.

"The bleeding's stopped," he replied sadly, "but there's no sign of her waking up yet." He grabbed a black hair from his head and tugged it loose, inwardly wincing as it came free. His eyes watched as it slowly floated to the ground from his fingers.

"Oh yeah. Have you guys heard?" Kensuke said, trying to divert his friend from his depression. "We're getting two new students today."

"We are?" Hikari asked.

"Uh-huh," the boy replied.

"Actually," a female voice said from behind him, "we're only getting one today. A boy." All three turned and looked.

"Morning, Miki," Hikari said pleasantly. The girl nodded to her before walking to stand in front of Toji, her bright green tipped black hair flowing over her shoulders.

"The other, a girl," Miki Sadamoto, the class representative continued, "is in hospital. Since before the incident." She smiled at Kensuke. "However, they were both enrolled at the same time, so I can see how you might get the wrong impression." Shrugging at the reddish tinge that appeared on the bespectacled youths cheeks, she wandered over to her seat near the door.

The school bell rang and there was a scrapping of chairs as the assembled students sat in their seats to await their teacher. They didn't have to wait long. Less than thirty seconds later he walked in.

"Stand," Miki commanded as he made his way to his desk a black-haired boy behind him. "Bow," she added a few seconds later. "Sit," she finished.

"Good morning class," Professor Jin Koyasu said. "Before I call the roll, I'd like to introduce a new student." The grey-haired figure looked at the boy stood nervously to one side. "He's joining us from Kyoto."

"My name's Shinji Ikari," the boy said formally, bowing to the class. "Pleased to meet you all."

"Sir?" Miki asked. Koyasu nodded and she stood up. "As class representative, I, Miki Sadamoto, formally welcome you to class 2A," she said, bowing, her green tipped hair cascading over her shoulders. "If you have any questions, please feel free to ask," she added, sitting. _Please don't though,_ she added internally, hating the need to be nice to the newcomer as she flipped the ends of her hair backwards.

"Now then, Shinji, why don't you take the empty seat in the second row," the teacher said. Ikari nodded and walked over to the empty desk. The bespectacled boy directly behind him give him a grin as he put his bag on the floor. As the teacher began to call the roll, Shinji opened up the laptop on the desk and, pulling out the slip of paper he'd been given in the office, logged onto the system.

- - -

Shinji sighed as he drummed his fingers on the edge of his desk. How could one lesson drag on for so long? Why did the teacher feel the need to lecture them on the politics of Eastern Europe before Second Impact? How could they possibly need to know something like that? He looked at the clock over the door.

_It's only been forty minutes?!_ he thought. _But it feels like it's been three hours!_ He carefully cast his eyes around the classroom, to see what the others were up to. One or two appeared to be paying attention, but that was all. Some had books out, a number of girls were quietly discussing something in a magazine, a few were asleep while others were doing something on their computers.

A beeping from the laptop on his desk grabbed his attention. A box had appeared, informing him he had received a message. Curious, he opened it.

"What the…?" he muttered as he read it. It was short and to the point. 'New kid, are you the pilot of that robot? Y or N' it read. The boy frowned.

--------------FLASHBACK---------------------------------------------------

"Of course, Nerv would prefer it if you kept the fact that you're a pilot a secret," Makoto had said earlier that day. They had been talking about what could happen while Shinji was in school.

"What do I say when they ask why I keep disappearing when the Angels attack?" the boy had asked, a genuine question.

"Hmm, I don't think they've thought of that," Hyuga replied, stroking his chin. "Personally, I'd tell them the truth. But that's just me."

--------------END OF FLASHBACK--------------------------------------------

The boy's mind raged for a few minutes, thoughts running through his head so fast he could barely keep track of them. Sighing, he closed his eyes and emptied his mind. He looked at the question again, his hand hovering over the keyboard. Listening to his instincts, he pressed the relevant key and hit the reply button.

A number gasps issued from throats scattered around the room. Urgent whispers and beeping swept around the class and all conversation faded out. Looking around, Ikari found all eyes turned on him. He swallowed hard as he felt their collective stares cutting into him. Embarrassed, he looked down again and sighed.

_I should have said no,_ he thought. The sound of scrapping assaulted his ears and, feeling a tingling sensation, he looked up and found himself peering into the expectant faces of his classmates.

"What was it like?"

"Why you?"

"What's it called?"

"Can I try it out?"

"How long have you been piloting it?"

"What was that thing you were fighting?"

"Did you get hurt?"

"How do you pilot it?"

"Who built it?

"How much did it cost?"

"Where is it now?"

"Can I see it?"

"Did you have to take some kind of test?"

"Was it hard?"

"Is it yours?"

"Where'd you get it?"

"Is it hard to control?"

"Can it fly?"

"Does it have lasers?"

"How long have you had it?"

"Did you choose the colour?"

"What's the cockpit like?"

"Is it voice command?"

"Can I have one?"

Shinji groaned and buried his head in his hands as the questions continued to barrage him.

- - -

Toji sat staring at the messages displayed on his screen. This new kid was the one piloting that thing?! And the class was acting as if he was some kind of superstar?! The kid was a menace, nothing more! Snarling, he snapped then pen he'd been doodling with in half, feeling the pieces crack as he squeezed them in his hands.

He turned his eyes to the mass of students. _He's gonna pay!_ he promised himself.

- - -

By the time the bell rang for lunch, Shinji had managed to answer some of the questions thrown at him. To some he genuinely didn't know the answer; to others, he felt it best not to answer. And every answer led to further questions.

Toji watched from his seat, silently fuming. When the bell had sounded, a few students had wandered off, discussing the answers Shinji had given.

_Enough's enough!_ Suzuhara thought, slamming his hand down on the desk. He got to his feet, his chair scrapping noisily across the wooden floor.

"Hey! New kid!" he called. Ikari's face appeared between two girls. "Can I have a word with you? Outside?" The boy nodded and managed to make his way through the crowd to the door, Toji a few paces behind him.

"I don't like the sound of that," Hikari whispered to Kensuke, pulling him near. The bespectacled youth nodded and the two followed the throng.

- - -

Once out in the school yard, Shinji stopped. "What did you-" he started, turning to look at Toji, but the taller youth's fist connecting with his jaw stopped him and knocked him down. The third-child looked up at Suzuhara, rubbing his jaw, whilst Toji looked angrily down at the pilot.

"Sorry about that," Kensuke said smiling. He knelt down next to Shinji. "But his little sister was injured during the battle."

The third-child forced back a snarl. "It wasn't my fault," Shinji told him, getting to his feet. "And if I hadn't piloted that thing, we'd all be dead right now!"

A growled slipped between Toji's lips and he grabbed hold of the front of the pilot's shirt. They stared into each others eyes angrily for a moment, neither blinking or backing down. Clenching his right fist, Suzuhara reached back. As he flung his fist forward, Shinji swung his left arm up, breaking the taller lads grip and knocking the fist aside. Before Toji could react, the pilot spun round and delivered a thunderous roundhouse kick to his face.

Suzuhara landed face down on the concrete. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and saw blood staining the skin. Working his jaw from side to side, he looked over at Shinji. The sun hung behind Shinji's head, hiding his face in a sinister shadow.

"I'm sorry about your sister," the third-child said flatly, appearing to be staring directly at Toji, "but I won't take that from anybody." Ikari turned and walked away, pushing through the stunned crowd of onlookers. Getting to his feet, Toji dusted himself down and watched Shinji's retreating figure.

"You okay, Toji?" Hikari asked, regaining her voice as she wandered over to him.

"Yeah," he replied rubbing his jaw.

"What the hell was that?!" Kensuke exclaimed, blinking repeatedly, as if trying to blink away what he'd just witnessed.

"Interesting," Miki muttered under her breath as she leant against the side of the school. She had been prepared to step in, but that had proved unnecessary. This new kid knew how to take care of himself, and he seemed to have a bit of a temper. Perhaps having him in the class wouldn't be so bad after all.

- - -

"So… How was your day?" Makoto asked Shinji as the boy flopped down in one of the chairs in the lounge of the dorm. The technician was on a break and had decided he should check in with him. He'd let himself in and had been waiting for the pilot to arrive.

"Not too bad I suppose," Ikari replied quietly. He thought for a moment. "Hey, Makoto."

"Yeah?"

"Could you do me a favour?"

"Depends on what it is," Hyuga replied hesitantly. It was clear to him that something had happened at school, something that was bothering the boy.

"Could you find out about the people injured during the battle with the Angel for me?" Shinji asked him. Makoto looked over at him, surprised.

"I suppose I could," the technician replied nonchalantly, shrugging. "Why?"

"Oh… No reason," Ikari replied, trying to sound casual but failing.

Makoto sighed softly. "I make no promises," he told the boy, "but I'll have a go."

"Thanks, Makoto," the pilot responded, getting to his feet. "I'd better get started on my homework," he added, heading for the stairs.

"Don't forget you've got a synch-test at five," Hyuga reminded him, heading for the door.

"I won't," he heard the boy reply before he closed the door behind him.

_Why the heck would he want to know about the injured?_ he mused. _I better tell the professor._

- - -

"At last the Angel's have returned," Keele announced to the assembled group, his elderly face twisted in to a smile that made Kouzou's skin crawl as he looked at the people that sat around the rectangular table. Fuyutski was, for once, glad of the visor that covered part of his friend's face; he didn't think he'd be able to stand the look in his eyes. As he often did at these meetings, he wondered why he had been sat directly opposite the chairman.

"Sixteen years," the blonde woman directly to the professor's right said wistfully, her deep-south American accent heavy. "At least all the investments we made have paid off," she added as he mentally identified her as Louise Daniels.

"Not yet they haven't," Viktor Hasan, the man from India who was sat beside her said, his hands interlaced on the table. He looked over at Fuyutski. "Nerv headquarters and Unit 01 appear to have worked as they should, but the rest…" he added, trailing off and spreading is hands.

"Only time will tell," the French voice of Jacque Bouquet, who was sat to Kouzou's left, commented. "And time is something we now have only a limited supply of."

"Indeed," Megumi Takamura from Okinawa said; she was sat beside Jacque. "I had not expected their return for another few months.

"But all is still in accordance with the Dead Sea Scrolls," Keele intoned. "Professor Fuyutski, please ensure that the projects stay on schedule. We cannot afford any delays."

"Of course," the commander of Nerv replied.

"Ah understand ya using Ikari's little boy as the pilot," the American said.

"I am. The Marduk Institute selected him as third-child."

"Such a shame, what happened to the good doctor," the Frenchman commented. "He must be pleased, knowing he is continuing his mother's work."

"I'm sure he is," Fuyutski said, although he doubted the truth of the words.

"The rest of the meeting does not concern you, professor," Keele told him.

"Of course," Kouzou responded. The chamber went dark. A moment later he pressed a button on his desk and the lights once more illuminated his office. These holographic conferences bothered him. Keele he knew was represented accurately, but the others… It was far too easy to use a fake image.

Pushing that thought aside, he picked up the memo he'd received from Lieutenant Hyuga. _So, Shinji wants to know about the injured,_ he thought. _Can't see any harm in that. I'll just have Makoto accompany him if he decides to visit any of them, just to be safe._

- - -

"This is it," Makoto said, coming to a stop in front of the door labelled '19'. He turned to his companion. "You sure you wanna do this alone, kid?"

"I'm sure," Shinji assured him quietly, nodding.

"Well, good luck," Hyuga said softly. "I'll be out here if you need me." The boy nodded and opened the door. The technician sighed as the door hissed shut behind the pilot and leant against the wall to wait. _I hope you know what you're doing Shinji._

- - -

The first thing Shinji noticed as the door closed was the steady beep of the heart monitor. He padded over to the bed, his eyes fixed on the small figure it contained. He sighed heavily as he took in the casts on the young girl's legs and the bandages visible on her forearms, leaning on the railing surrounding the bed. Feeling as if he was being watched, he looked around and saw two figures on the far side of the bed. _They must be her parents,_ he thought.

"Excuse, me young man," the man said quietly, looking confused. "Are you lost?"

"No, sir," Shinji replied. He straightened up and took a deep breath. "Mr. Suzuhara, my name is Shinji Ikari. I was the one piloting the robot that injured your daughter." He bowed as deeply and respectfully as he could.

"I see," Toji's father said calmly, his fingernails digging into his palms as he clenched his fists but kept them at his sides.

"I wanted to apologise for what happened to your daughter."

"How-how many times have you used that thing?" Mrs. Suzuhara asked, working hard to keep her roiling emotions in check.

"To be honest ma'am, I'd never seen it before the battle," the third-child answered sadly, turning to look directly at her. The woman was taken back by the sadness in the boy's eyes

"Then what happened wasn't really your fault," her husband said. Although he sounded calm, his wife knew better, that he was as affected as herself. "And things could've been a lot worse without you."

"Toji doesn't think so," Ikari commented, rubbing his chin where Toji's fist had connected.

"Toji's always been…protective of Noriko," the boy's mother informed him. "He sees it as his place to protect her." She rubbed her tired eyes, wishing she'd been able to sleep better the last few nights. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" she asked, knowing her son's temper.

"Let's just say we exchanged opinions," the boy said, a slight smile on his lips. For some reason he didn't want to tell them exactly what had happened. He didn't now why though and pushed the question from his mind.

"So that explains why he didn't want dinner last night," Mr. Suzuhara commented, chuckling quietly as he understood the boy's meaning. "Don't worry, it won't happen again," he assured him while Toji's mother looked at him, puzzled.

"I'm not," Ikari shrugged. "I can take care of myself." He took another look at the unconscious form of Noriko Suzuhara. "If you'll excuse me, I think I've taken up enough of your time," he said, bowing once more to her parents.

"Of course," Mr. Suzuhara replied. "And thank you…for your apology."

To be continued…

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**Author Notes –**  
Well, I can't say I surprised that all of you who reviewed believed that I'd let Shinji live. As you can see, he has, but I should warn you that I have no fear of killing him, or anyone else for that matter, if I think the story needs it.  
I'm issuing you guys a challenge. Each and every one of the Angels featured in this story is based a real angel I found out about online. The challenge is – Can you tell me what their names are? I've got a list of them and I'll tell you if you get it right.  
Enough from me. I look forward to hearing your view on this chapter and hope it won't disappoint. I'm afraid you're probably going to have to wait about a month between chapters. Sorry about that, but this is becoming far more complicated than I imagined to would be.

**Original characters –**  
Miki Sadamoto  
Professor Jin Koyasu  
Viktor Hasan  
Louise Daniels  
Jacque Bouquet  
Megumi Takamura  
­­­­­­­­­­Noriko Suzuhara


	3. Blue Skies And Red Eyes

**Disclaimer –**  
The original story Neon Genesis Evangelion, its characters and all other trademarks are used without permission. The originals are mine, and will be named in the author notes of the first chapter they appear in. I will be making no profit from this story.

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_**Evangelion Chronicles**_

by Room3

**Chapter 03** - _Blue Skies And Red Eyes_

"Hello, Rei," Kouzou said as the girl stepped out of the infirmary room that had been her home for the last week or so, dressed in a plain grey, knee length skirt and short-sleeved white shirt. She looked at him. "How are you felling?"

"I am well, professor," the blue-haired girl replied quietly, staring him directly in the eye. He was relieved to see her right eye hadn't been damaged, although there was some puffiness around it.

"I'm glad to hear it," he replied. "Doctor Akagi tells me you will be able to pilot again in two days," he added, looking at the bandages on her left arm.

"Yes. My injuries will have healed sufficiently for me to be able to do so by then," she confirmed.

"Well, that's as maybe, but Unit 00 won't be finished for another two weeks or so." There was a pause, during which the two just looked at each other. "I thought I'd accompany you back to the dorm," Fuyutski said. "Lieutenant Hyuga's currently busy on the surface."

"That would be acceptable," Ayanami responded and began walking towards the exit without looking back. She could hear the professor's footsteps as he matched her pace.

"The third Angel has been defeated," he told her.

"So Lieutenant Hyuga has informed me."

"And the third-child has moved into the dorm."

"He has told me this also," Rei said, stopping in front of the elevator. Kouzou pressed the call button.

"Does it bother you?" he asked as he began to tap his foot as he waited. There was a ping and the doors opened.

"Why would it bother me?" she asked softly as they stepped into the elevator car.

"Because you've lost your privacy," the professor explained, pressing the button for the ground floor.

"Am I required to share my sleeping quarters with the third-child?" the girl enquired of him, turning to face him. Once again he found himself staring into her red eyes.

"Well, no," he said as the elevator began to move, slightly taken a back by her question, "of course not."

"Then in what manner have I lost my privacy?" the first-child asked him.

He sighed. "Never mind," he told her. Despite being used to her manner, she still managed to exasperate him from time to time. Just then the doors opened and they stepped out into the lobby of the infirmary. A group of doctors discussing a patient's chart greeted him as he and the girl walked towards the exit.

- - -

"Support building one-five is now fully armed," a voice informed Misato over the radio. She sat in the back of the mobile command unit that had been assigned the task of preparing the numerous Evangelion support buildings then littered the city.

"Roger that," she responded, gesturing for Makoto to bring over the map that he held. She looked it over. "Move the equipment to sector seven," the captain ordered, "and begin loading building three-one."

"Three-one confirmed," the tired voice on the other end replied. "Out."

"Don't you think it's getting a little late, captain?" Hyuga asked.

"There will be sufficient light left for them to finish loading three-one," she replied calmly. She looked at the map again. "Have the umbilical cables in sector two been connected to the emergency power grid yet?"

"Not yet," the bespectacled technician informed her. "There was a problem with the relays, some kind of degradation in the control circuits. Replacements will be here first thing tomorrow. In the mean time I've assigned the teams to load the pallet guns in sector four." The captain nodded. There was a knock on the door and Shigeru stepped in.

"Excuse me, captain," he said, saluting, "but the mayor's office is asking how much longer this operation will take."

"Provided there are no further equipment malfunctions, we should be finished by this time tomorrow," she told him. "But that is subject to change. The mayor will be informed by Commander Fuyutski when the operation has been completed." The long-haired technician nodded. "Dismissed." Aoba saluted again and left the command unit.

"He's probably getting hassled about the amount of disruption we're causing," Makoto commented.

"If the city had allowed us to properly prepare the support buildings when they were being constructed, then there would be no need for the current disruption," the captain said, her tone making her displeasure clear.

"You know politicians," Hyuga said. "Always hedging their bets. They probably hoped we wouldn't be needed."

"Idiots," Katsuragi muttered under her breath.

- - -

Shinji sighed as he flopped down on to his bed. Between his pilot training, synch tests and homework, he'd had precious little time to himself over the weekend. It was now half four on Sunday afternoon and he'd only just finished the work the teacher had assigned him.

'_I'll sure be glad when the training's over!_' he thought, staring at the ceiling. '_Then maybe I'll be able to rest over the weekend._' His stomach growled and he groaned, covering his face with his hands. He rolled off the bed and closing his door, headed downstairs to grab a snack.  
He grabbed a packet of crisps from the cupboard he'd put them in, glad he'd remembered to do a bit of shopping on his way home Friday. Opening the pack and putting a couple in his mouth, he grabbed the glass he'd left beside the sink that lunchtime, filled it from the tap and took it and his crisps into the lounge, sitting down in the nearest chair.

Having finished, he balled up the empty packet and, with the ease of many years of playing Basketball, threw into the bin by the TV. Drinking the last of the water, he cradled the now empty glass in his hands, rubbing his thumbs up and down the smooth surface and closing his eyes.

He opened his eyes again at the sound of a key in the front door. Frowning, he stood up and put the glass on the dining table. He knew it wasn't Makoto; the pilot rep. had told the boy he'd be too busy to visit today. He'd probably stop by before going home, provided he wasn't too tired. Shinji watched cautiously as the door began to open.

"Good afternoon, professor," the boy said as the grey-haired man came into view, relaxing as he did.

"Oh, good afternoon, Shinji," Fuyutski replied, startled by the third-child's voice. "I'm glad you're here. Allow me to introduce the first-child, Rei Ayanami." The blue-haired girl stepped out from behind him. Kouzou turned to her, gesturing to Shinji. "Rei, this is Shinji Ikari."

'_She looks familiar,_' the boy thought as he took in her unobscured face. '_Red eyes,_' he mused, taking in her most striking feature. He didn't notice when the professor closed the door.

"You are the child of Doctor Yui Ikari, are you not?" Rei asked, her soft voice barely above a whisper.

"That's right," Ikari answered, shaking himself out of the trance he'd fallen into at the sight of her eyes. "It's nice to meet you," he said, holding out his right hand. She looked at it blankly, puzzled by his action. "It's called a hand shake," he explained. "It's a way of greeting someone."

The girl held her own hand out, copying him. Smiling, Shinji closed the gap between them and grasped her hand gently but firmly, shaking it. The professor smiled inwardly, careful to school his facial expression. He'd been wondering how the two of them would react to each other. He did notice that the boy seemed a little more relaxed around her than he had when he'd first met the professor, but that was understandable.

"Rei," Kouzou said to attract the girl's attention. "I have to leave now. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Very well," the girl nodded.

"Bye, Shinji," the professor said as he opened the door.

"Bye, professor," the boy called as the door clicked closed. "Welcome home, I guess," he said after a short and uncomfortable silence.

"Thank you, Pilot Ikari," Ayanami responded.

"Would you like something to eat?" Shinji asked, racking his brains trying to think of something to say. "I did a bit of shopping, but there's not really all that much."

"No, I am not hungry," she replied stiffly. "Thank you for asking." She padded over to the chair nearest the stairs and sat down. The boy watched her go, scratching the back of his head. "Were you injured during the battle with the Angel?"

"A few bumps and bruises," Ikari answered, sitting down in the chair he had previously occupied. "My memory's a bit muddled and foggy, but that's okay. I'm not sure I want to remember what happened."

"I see."

"So... How come you ended up in the infirmary?"

"There was a malfunction in Unit 00's command systems during an activation test," she replied softly. "I do not know the details. You would have to ask Doctor Akagi if you wished to know." There was a short pause. "I understand that we have been enrolled in high school." Shinji nodded. "I would be grateful if you would show me the way tomorrow morning."

"Of course," the boy assured her. "Wait a minute, you mean you're not already going to school?"

"I am not," the first-child informed him. "However, Professor Fuyutski has requested that I start. He has informed me that there are things that I can only learn in a school. I do not know to what he is referring, but I will abide by his wishes."

- - -

Toji scowled as he stepped into the classroom and saw Shinji. The boy was sat at his desk, looking through some kind of file. Suzuhara growled low in his throat as he passed the pilot.

'_I can't believe they told me to leave him alone!_' he thought. '_So what if he apologised? He almost killed Noriko with that thing of his!_' He let his bag drop to the floor beside his desk and sat down. At least the kid hadn't ratted him out, although Toji was sure his father knew what had happened. '_They want me to be nice to him?!_' he thought, snorting in disgust at the idea. '_No chance!_'

- - -

Although Shinji could feel a pair of eyes staring at him he didn't look around. He had a pretty good idea who it was. He hadn't missed Toji's entrance, nor the growl he'd made in passing. Instead, the third-child focused as best he could on the file Makoto had given him that morning, although how he was supposed to remember the locations of all the gates, recovery routes and support buildings he didn't know. At least each type of building had a different symbol on it.  
As he looked over the map of sector five, he found himself wondering how Rei was getting on. He knew she was being tested to see what level her education was at; and for some reason, he was worried about her.

"Shinji, right?" a bubbly female voice said, attracting his attention. Looking up, he saw a smiling brunette with blue eyes and pigtails.

"Yeah."

"I'm Hikari Horaki," she introduced herself.

"Nice to meet you."

"Sorry I didn't get a chance to say hello Friday," she said. "And I'm sorry about Toji."

"Don't worry about it," Ikari told her, shrugging. "I understand why he did it. Probably would've done the same thing."

- - -

Miki smiled to herself and causally wandered over to Toji's desk. "The nerve of that guy," she murmured to him. "And here I thought Hikari was your friend. Looks like the new guy's trying to change that." Shinji chose that moment to say something which caused Hikari to giggle. Toji grunted angrily. Miki smirked and walked away.

'_I hope the new girl is as much fun,_' she thought. She stole a glance at Toji and Shinji while pretending to fuss with her hair. '_Either way, those two should keep me entertained for a while._'

- - -

Ritsuko couldn't help but notice the large amount of general chatter happening in Unit 00's cage as she walked across the umbilical bridge towards her assistant. Maya was busy calling out instructions to a group of technicians working on the chest area, which had had a large section of the armour removed. She stopped a couple of paces away from the petite brunette.

Once Ibuki had finished speaking, Akagi closed the distance between them. "How's it going?" she asked pleasantly.

"Huh? Oh, it's you, doctor," Maya responded, looking up from the clipboard in her arms. "So far so good. We've managed to rule out the primary relay node as the source of the conflict."

"So what are they doing at the moment?" the blonde enquired, looking over at the technicians.

"Testing the power regulators," her assistant replied. "Everything's being triple checked this time. So far no faults have been found."

"I'm surprised you're not up there yourself," Ritsuko said slyly, slipping her hands into the pockets of her lab coat.

"Someone's got to coordinate things," the lieutenant smiled back.

"I assume someone's checking the components you've had replaced for faults," the doctor said.

"Naturally," Maya replied.

Akagi sighed softly and looked at the orange and white figure. Frowning, she asked "Why isn't the shoulder armour in place?"

"I figured we might as well connect the shoulder wings while we're at it," Ibuki informed her.

"We're gonna have to do it any way."

"Good thinking," the blonde agreed. "Any problems?"

"Not yet."

"Lieutenant!" one of the technicians working on the chest called.

"What is it?" she yelled back.

"The FJ-401's not accepting the current," he informed her.

Maya grimaced. "Okay, replace it. And work back from it, see if you can trace a fault," she ordered.

"Will do," the technician said before issuing instructions to his colleagues.

"Must have burnt out during the malfunction," Ritsuko murmured.

"Must've." The lieutenant checked through several of the sheets of paper on her clipboard. "It's been in place since Unit 00 was constructed, so it could've degraded."

"Well, the FJ's are pretty reliable. Any other components that old?"

Ibuki rifled through her print outs before answering. "Not that I can see, but I'll double check the maintainance logs on the Magi." She sighed. "You know, old components like that really should be red-flagged for inspection."

"Good idea. I'll get it sorted tonight."

"Tonight? But I thought-"

Ritsuko put her hand on her assistant's shoulder, smiling at her. "Don't worry, it won't take me long. An hour, two tops."

"You sure?"

"I promised didn't I?" Akagi asked. Maya nodded. "Then I'll be there, okay?"

The lieutenant nodded, careful to hide her grin. "Okay."

"Now I've got to go see Katsuragi."

"Why?" the brunette asked, cocking her head to one side.

"You know, I'm not really sure why she wants to see me," the doctor said. "I'll tell you later," she added, turning and walking away. Maya watched her go sadly until she stepped through the door leading from the cage. Giving herself a little shake, she turned back to the prototype Evangelion.

- - -

"Stand. Bow Sit," Miki called as Professor Koyasu entered the class room. She watched as a blue-haired girl followed him in and frowned slightly. Had she ever seen the sun?

"Thank you, Ms. Sadamoto," he responded, knowing full well that most of the class was trying not to stare at the girl who had stopped a few paces to his left. "Good afternoon class. We have another new student starting today," he informed the students. "She's been home-schooled until recently," he added. He turned to her. "Introduce yourself."

"Yes, sir," she replied softly. "My name is Rei Ayanami," she continued, making most of the class strain to hear her. Miki stood up and welcomed her, repeating her invitation for questions. Rei simply nodded in response.

"Ms. Ayanami, please take the seat in the front row next to the window," the teacher instructed, gesturing to the empty chair.

"Yes sir," she responded, walking towards the indicated seat. "Pilot Ikari," she greeted Shinji as she passed him.

"Afternoon, Ayanami," he smiled back as she sat down. "Did you do okay on the tests they gave you this morning?"

"I believe that I did," Rei answered. She turned her attention to the teacher as he began his lecture.

"Hey, Shinji," the third-child heard a voice behind him whisper. He turned round to the bespectacled boy behind him. "My name's Kensuke Aida."

"Nice to meet you," Ikari replied. "Aren't you Toji's friend?"

"Yeah, but there's no rule that says I can't talk to you."

"I guess not."

"Beside," Kensuke added, pointing to his left, "Toji's out cold." Shinji looked over and saw the Suzuhara boy's head resting on his crossed arms. He certainly looked like he was asleep. "I take it you know the new girl."

"Ayanami? Yeah," the pilot responded. "Admittedly I only met her yesterday. She only got out of the infirmary then."

"Why was she in the infirmary?" Aida asked, his eyes widening as he realised the relevance of the word.

"Some king of accident in Unit 00," the third-child replied, shrugging. He didn't think it would matter if they found out Rei was a pilot as well, and he doubted she would be bothered if the rest of the class started asking her questions about it. He didn't know why, but he got the feeling she would just ignore them.

"Unit 00? You mean yours isn't the only robot?"

"No. I'm quite sure I heard someone mention a Unit 02 as well. I think they said it was being made in Germany."

"So she's the pilot of this Unit 00?" Kensuke asked, his tone becoming excited.

"I think so," Shinji answered. "She didn't say much last night."

"Last night? Oh, did you two go on a date or something?"

"No. But we live together," the third-child informed him calmly.

"You live together?!" the bespectacled youth exclaimed, struggling to keep his voice down so as not to draw attention to himself or wake Toji.

"Sure," Shinji replied. "In the pilot dorm. near Nerv headquarters."

"How many of you are there in this dorm?"

"Just me and Ayanami. But there are six suites, so I guess there'll be more."

"Man! You're so lucky, Shinji."

"I am?" Ikari asked, surprised. One thing he didn't consider himself was lucky.

"Yeah. Not only do you get to pilot that robot, but you live with a babe like her," Kensuke told him, gesturing to Rei, who was staring out the window beside her.

"You think she's attractive?" Shinji asked, looking at her profile.

"Hell yeah! You mean you don't?"

"I hadn't thought about it," he said. She did seem attractive, but... "Thinking about her like that just seems...I don't know, wrong," he told the boy behind him.

"You're not gay are you? I mean, not that it matters if you are or anything."

"No," the third-child informed him. "I like girls, it's just... It doesn't feel right thinking about her like that."

"You're weird, you know that," Aida commented.

- - -

Shinji stepped out of the male pilots' changing room, his hair still damp on the collar of his school shirt, but glad to have had a chance to shower. He'd discovered on his second day that the LCL, when dried on, began to smell strongly and was a pain to get rid of. Since then, he'd made sure to shower thoroughly after every synch-test. A hiss to his right caught his attention. Turning, he saw Rei step out of the girl's changing room. Feeling his gaze, she looked over and nodded stiffly.

"Everything okay, Ayanami?" he asked as he closed the distance between them.

"All is satisfactory," the blue-haired girl replied. There was silence for a few moments while Shinji fidgeted uncomfortably. "Is there something you wish to ask me, Pilot Ikari?"

"Um, yeah," the boy answered, scratching the back of his head. "Can I see it? Unit 00?"

"Why are you asking me?" the first-child enquired.

"Well, it's yours," he said hesitantly, "isn't it?"

"I am its pilot," she informed him. "It does not belong to me. It is the property of Nerv."

"Oh. Well I-I didn't want to offend you."

"You seeing Unit 00 would not offend me."

"Um, okay..." the boy muttered. "Could you show me where it is?"

"Very well," Rei agreed. "This way," she added, walking down the corridor. Shinji quickly began to follow her.

"How long have you been a pilot?" he asked her a few moments later, having been fighting the urge since he'd met the pale girl.

"I was selected as a pilot eight years ago," she informed him calmly, turning right down a wider corridor.

"Wow. You must be really good," he gushed. "I could barely get Unit 01 to move," he added, sadly.

"Although I have participated in many harmonics tests I have only been inside Unit 00 a few times," Ayanami responded. "There has been little need for me to do so until now."

"I hadn't thought of that," Ikari admitted.

"Your skill will improve with time," she told him. "You need merely apply yourself to your training."

"Thanks," he smiled. The blue-haired girl stopped and blinked before turning to look at him.

"For what are you thanking me?" she enquired.

"For your encouragement, of course."

"I was merely stating a fact," she said before resuming walking. Silence reined for a few moments.

"Can I ask you a question, Ayanami?" Shinji enquired.

"You have just asked a question," the first-child informed him. The boy chuckled. Hearing him, the girl stopped and faced him. "Have I said something amusing?"

"Sorry," Ikari said, getting himself back under control. "You ask someone if you can ask them a question when you're not sure how they're going to react to it," he explained.

"What is the question you wish to ask?" Rei enquired, cocking her head to one side.

"Why do you pilot Unit 00?"

"I pilot because I am able to pilot," the girl replied. "There is no other reason. Why have you agreed to continue to pilot?"

"Well, to be honest, I'm not really doing it to save lives, although that's what everyone seems to think," Shinji said. He frowned. "I guess it's a way for me to feel closer to mom."

"In what way?"

"Well, the Eva's are her work," he answered, uncertain. "Being a pilot makes me feel like I'm contributing to her work."

"And that is why you have agreed to pilot?" the blue-haired girl asked.

"Uh-huh," the boy nodded. "Kinda selfish isn't it."

Rei blinked and started walking again. "Perhaps," she said softly, so softly that the boy could barely hear her. "What is important is that you have a reason that you believe to be valid." From that point on, they walked in silence. Shinji found himself unable to think of anything more to say or ask after her last statement.

- - -

Rei almost seemed to glide through the door which had 'Cage 00' stencilled next to it. Shinji nearly tripped over the cables running along the floor. The crates stacked just inside the chamber didn't help. Regaining his balance, he wandered towards the first-child, who was stood a short distance from someone. It looked like Lieutenant Ibuki, but he couldn't be sure with the distances involved.

He was about to speak when he caught sight of Unit 00 and the words stuck in his throat. It looked very similar to Unit 01, with a few exceptions. First off, it was predominately orange, with white arms and highlights. Secondly, it didn't have a helmet like the purple Evangelion. And it had only one large eye, central to its face. Looking it over, he saw that only one shoulder had the tall bit sticking up from it, the left one. He wasn't sure, but he thought they were referred to as 'shoulder wings'.

There were a number of people, technicians he guessed, working on a large opening on the chest, and more working on each shoulder. The platform he was stood on was at about waist height. Although he could hear someone talking, he couldn't tell who it was or what was being said, his mind too filled with awe of the second Evangelion he'd seen.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Ibuki," Rei said as the boy dragged his attention to the two figures a short distance from him.

"You're welcome, Rei," the petite brunette smiled back.

"Um, lieutenant...?" Ikari spoke, remembering his conversation with Rei from that morning.

"Yes, Shinji?" Maya asked.

"Do you know where Makoto is?" the third-child asked. "Only, me and Rei need to do some shopping and neither of us has much money," he explained.

"I think he's on duty in the command centre," she answered, her brow creasing in a frown.

"Where's that?" the boy asked.

Rei spoke before the lieutenant could answer. "I will show him the way."

"Thanks, Ayanami," Shinji smiled. The first-child nodded and began to walk away. "Bye, lieutenant," the boy called as he began to follow her.

"Bye, guys," Ibuki called as she returned her attention to the troublesome Unit 00.

- - -

The boy struggled not to gawp as he entered the large chamber that acted as the command centre for Nerv headquarters. '_This place is huge!_' he thought, looking about. Almost directly in front of the door he and Rei had come through were three workstations, only two of which we occupied. Makoto was at one, the other was being used by a broad-shouldered figure with light brown hair in a ponytail.

"Hey, guys," Makoto greeted them, having looked over his shoulder and spotted the two pilots.

"Good afternoon, Lieutenant Hyuga, Lieutenant Aoba," Rei responded formally, nodding to them. The long-haired figure turned round at the sound of his name.

"Hi, Rei," he called. "Glad to finally meet you, Shinji," he continued, spotting the nervous boy. "Name's Shigeru Aoba," he said, getting to his feet and holding out his hand.

"Nice to meet you, sir," Ikari replied, shaking the hand firmly.

"Is there a problem?" Hyuga asked, slipping into his role as pilot rep.

"Oh, yeah," the boy muttered, remembering why he had sought out the bespectacled technician.

"Rei and I need to do some food shopping, but we don't have much money."

"You haven't given them the cards yet?" Shigeru asked his colleague, giving him a funny look.

"Gimme a break, I only got them this morning," Hyuga shrugged. Getting to his feet, he pulled two small plastic cards from his back pocket and passed them to the pilots.

"New ID cards?" Shinji asked, noticing his picture and the Nerv logo.

"No. They're charge-cards," Makoto informed him. "You can use them to pay for food or anything you need for school. Anything else, like cinema trips, music, magazines and so on, you'll have to pay for yourselves."

"Thank you, lieutenant," Ayanami said, putting the card in her blouse pocket.

"Hey, don't thank me, it was Maya's idea," he told her. "She thought it would be better than you guys having to constantly come to me when you needed to get something," he explained.

"I'll have to remember to thank her next time I see her," the third-child commented, putting the card in his pocket.

"As will I," the blue-haired girl agreed.

"Do you two want me to come with you?" Makoto asked.

Shinji looked at Rei for a moment before saying, "No, I think we'll be okay. Thanks for the offer, though."

"Just doing my job," the bespectacled lieutenant responded glibly.

"Speaking of which," Shigeru said, "we'd better get back to this analysis or Katsuragi will have our asses."

"I guess we'll be going then," the boy said. "Bye."

"See ya, kid," Makoto called as the two pilots left the chamber.

- - -

"So, what would you like tonight?" Shinji asked Rei as he picked up a shopping basket from the pile beside the door of the market. It was a small store, but it was the nearest one to the pilot dorm.

"I do not mind," the blue-haired girl informed him, "as long as it does not contain meat."

"You're a vegetarian?" he asked, slightly surprised as he headed towards the produce section.

"I dislike eating meat," she replied, matching his pace.

"Well, are there any vegetables you don't like?"

"Why would I dislike them?" Ayanami asked, stopping and looking at her companion.

"Because you don't like the taste," the third-child told her, looking back at her.

"Taste is irrelevant," she stated. "All that matters is that my nutritional requirements are provided."

"No, how food tastes is extremely important," Ikari countered.

"It is?" Rei asked, blinking.

"Yes," he replied, finding it hard to believe what she had just said. He paused for a moment before asking "Do you know how to cook?"

"I do not," the pale girl answered.

"How do you eat?" Shinji asked, slightly exasperated. "I mean, who provides your meals?" he clarified, realising she may have taken his question seriously.

"I procure my meals from the canteen at headquarters," Ayanami responded, looking curiously at the display of fruit stood beside her. "The catering staff are aware of my requirements."

"Have you ever tried cooking?" the boy enquired.

"Why would I?"

"So you don't have to rely on the canteen."

"Is that important?" the blue-haired girl asked, looking at him.

"Well, I was always told that it's important to be able to feed yourself," the third-child told her. '_Man, she's stranger than I thought!_'

"Do you believe it would be advisable for me to learn how to cook?"

"Personally, yes," Ikari answered. "I could help you, if you like," he added.

"You are offering to instruct me, are you not?"

"Well, yeah," he shrugged. "I'm not really all that good, but I can help you with the basics. Mainly it's just trial and error."

"Your assistance would be welcome."

"Would you like to try tonight?" Shinji asked, strangely pleased with himself.

"Very well. What would you suggest?"

- - -

Shinji gasped as his eyes snapped open, his brow sweaty and a loud beating sound echoing in his ears. To the boy it sounded like a heartbeat, but massively loud, as if that of a giant. It faded away as if it were nothing more than a remnant of his dream leaving no sound in the room but his own heavy breathing. He sat up slowly and wiped the moisture from his face. Licking his lips he grimaced at the taste that greeted him – LCL. Suddenly feeling gripped by cold he wrapped his arms around himself to try to get warm.

Ikari looked over at the alarm clock, sighing as he read the time 02:43. Reaching over he flicked on the bedside lamp, blinking at the sudden light. Casting his eyes around the room he saw the small bin beside his desk. It was overflowing with the torn up newspaper that had been used as packing material for his belongings. Something about the colour caught his eye. He cocked his head and stared at it.

'_Black and white,' _he thought. '_Something black and white. A-a figure..._' He cried out as a sudden pain lanced through his head, as if someone was forcing a red-hot pin into his brain. Cradling his head in his hands, he closed his eyes trying to ignore the pain. A black and white figure with a red circular blob appeared in his minds eye. '_The Angel!_' He opened his eyes and looked up, his eyes gazing into the distance. His breathing became laboured as images and sensations began to flood his mind, confusing the youngster.

- A black hand with a glowing disk in its palm. -

- Two glowing eyes in a cloud of dust. –

- A pain in his chest. –

- The feeling of wind whipping at him. –

- An unearthly roar, like some kind of monster. –

- A stabbing pain in his stomach. –

- Some kind of orange glow. –

The third-child screwed his eyes up tight and shook his head, trying to clear the pictures from his mind. They felt familiar, of that he was sure, but something was wrong. As if they were out of sequence. Breathing out slowly he forced his mind to clear. Gradually the flood receded and he found himself able to think clearly. It was then he realised what the images represented. His memories of the battle.

He lead back in his bed and closed his eyes, relaxing his body completely. Once done, he recalled what he remembered from the battle. As he'd told Makoto, he remembered getting into the Eva and it being launched. As he lay there, most of the gaps in his memory disappeared and he found himself relieving the battle. But some gaps remained. He remembered Unit 01 getting buried, the heartbeat he'd heard as he'd awakened, but then it became blurry again.

'_Well, at least I know as much as they do now,_' he thought after a few minutes of trying to pick details out of the fog. They were there, that he felt, but they remained as elusive as the morning mist. He gave up and looked at his clock, his eyes widening as he took in the time – 04:38. He'd lost almost two hours. He blinked a few times as weariness gripped him and he fell asleep.

- - -

"You asked to see me, professor," Lieutenant Hyuga said as he stepped in Fuyutski's office. The grey-haired commander of Nerv was stood gazing out of the window. He turned at the sound of Makoto's voice.

"Yes, I did," he responded, walking back to his desk. He waved the bespectacled technician into a chair as he himself sat down. "I'd like your impression of Shinji. And how you think he's settling in."

"He's a good kid," Makoto said. "Considerate, polite, a little nervous around people he doesn't know." He smiled, adding "I wish all teenagers were like him." The lieutenant paused for a moment to think. "I think he's settling in all right. He admitted to being a bit lonely before Rei got out of the infirmary."

"How are they getting long?" the professor enquired, leaning forward and interlocking his fingers on his desk.

"Rei and Shinji?" Hyuga responded. Fuyutski nodded. "Fine. He's really looking out for her. Even trying to teach her how to cook."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and I get the feeling he's helping her out in school as well."

"He's like his mother in that respect," Kouzou smiled, leaning back in his chair, "always trying to help others." He sighed. "Do you think they'll have any trouble working together?"

"No, sir," the lieutenant assured him. "Can't see any reason there would be. You know," he added thoughtfully, "now that I think about it, it's kinda weird watching them interact."

"How so?"

"Well, it's like..." Hyuga started, but trailed off as words failed him. "It's like they've known each other for years," he eventually said. He took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes before continuing. "If I didn't know any better I'd swear they'd lived together before."

"Well, Shinji is used to living in a dorm."

"But Rei's always lived alone," Makoto countered. "At least, for the last five years or so she has."

"True," the professor admitted, sighing. "We can figure it out later. For now, just keep an eye out for any possible problems."

"Will do," the bespectacled technician nodded. "Is there anything else sir?"

"No. No, that will be all, thank you," Kouzou said absently. Makoto stood up, saluted and left the office. As the door slid shut behind him, Fuyutski sighed tiredly and scrubbed his face.  
'_At least they're getting on okay,_' he thought ruefully. He pulled open the bottom left-hand draw of his desk and, tapping a six digit combination on the keypad there, opened the small safe he kept there. It took a few moments to find the file he wanted. Opening it on the desk, he quickly found the page he wanted and read the relevant section.

Sighing again, he replaced the file, closed the safe and slid the draw shut. Lost in thought, he stood and wandered over to the window, staring out at the lake beyond.

- - -

Shinji rolled from facing the wall to staring at the ceiling. He'd been awake for about a minute or so now and was waiting for his alarm to sound. He knew it would be soon, he always awoke a few minutes before it did. Wondering how much longer he had to just lie there, he turned his head and looked over at his alarm clock. He groaned slightly as he read the glowing digits – 06:19. His alarm wouldn't go off for another forty or so minutes, but he was awake. Considering his options for a moment, he sat up and unset the alarm.

'_No sense just lying here,_' he thought, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. Grabbing his school clothes and towel, he left his room and headed for the boys bathroom. He quickly showered and changed into his uniform. Laying the towel across the wooden bench to dry, he headed out into the games room. As the third-child stepped out, he heard the sound of running water.

'_Rei must be in the shower,_' Shinji thought to himself. He'd been amazed by how early she got up the first day after her return from the infirmary. When he'd mentioned it, she had said something about she had had all the sleep she needed. Smiling to himself, Shinji continued and his eyes fell on the pool table. The boy remembered Makoto saying something about how the game would improve his accuracy with the Eva's weaponry and decided to practice for a while.

Shinji put all the balls on the table as the technician had shown him and selected a stick from the rack on one of the walls; Makoto had called it a 'cue'. Positioning the white ball one the white line, he aimed for the triangular formation and struck it with the cue. Watching the coloured balls bounce around, he waited until they'd stopped and chose his next shot, quickly loosing himself in the game.

Hearing a door open, he struck the white ball and looked up. Rei was stood by the door to her suite. Her hair still looked to be a little damp and she had her towel around her neck. His eyes drifted down of their own accord and he froze as he realised the girl wore nothing more than the towel.

"Sorry," he said, feeling his cheeks flush. He closed his eyes and turned around, holding the cue in his hands and trying to clear the heat from his face.

"What is the problem?" he heard Ayanami ask in her soft voice, her tone sounded puzzled.

"You're not wearing anything," Shinji told her, angling his head as if he were looking at the floor.

"That is a problem?" the first-child asked. She clearly did not understand the boy's reaction to her lack of attire.

"Yes, it is," Ikari replied.

"I do not understand," the blue-haired girl commented; the boy could swear he could almost hear her frown. "I have never worn clothes when going to or from the bathroom. It has not been a problem before."

"But that was when you lived alone," the third-child told her. "You shouldn't walk around naked."

"It is not appropriate for me to walk around without clothes within my own dwelling?"

"Not when you share it it's not," Shinji informed her.

"I did not know," she replied innocently. "I shall remember to wear clothes in future." There was a slight pause. "I will go and get dressed now." A moment later, the boy heard her suite door open and close.

The boy sighed and turned back to the table, opening his eyes. '_I think I'll get her a bathrobe,_' he thought as he prepared to take his next shot.

- - -

Feeling impatient, Miki popped a mint into her mouth before checking her watch. '_Any minute now,_' she thought. Swallowing, she peered around the corner, drawing back quickly as she spotted her target. She smirked, counted to five and walked out the alley she had been hiding down, leaving her face blank.

"Miki!" she heard a voice call. Careful to hide her smile, she looked in the direction the call had come from. Seeing her target heading towards her, she smiled openly and waved.

"Hi, Hikari," Sadamoto said as the brunette jogged over to her. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, thanks," Horaki replied, her breathing slightly laboured. "I don't usually see you around these parts."

"Oh, I felt like going for a walk," the class rep. replied casually. "Listen, Hikari," she continued, "I wanted to thank you for trying to befriend Ikari."

"No problem," Hikari responded. "It can't be easy being the new kid and I thought I'd help out."

"No, it's not easy," Miki agreed.

"Toji's being a bit difficult about it."

"He would," Sadamoto shrugged, slipping her hands into her coat pockets. "I wouldn't worry about it, Hikari. He's probably still upset about his sister."

"I guess," the brunette sighed.

"And Ikari knocking him down like he did is probably hurting his ego," the class rep. stated, a smile on her lips.

"Knowing Toji, I'd have to say it is," Horaki replied, a bit more humour in her tone than before.

"How does Ikari feel about what happened?"

"Well, Shinji admitted he probably overreacted a bit," Hikari related, "but he won't apologise unless Toji does. And we both know that's not gonna happen." She paused for a moment, looking thoughtful. "You know, Shinji's gone to see Noriko," she continued. "Their parents were there, and he apologised to them for what happened to her."

"Really? That took guts."

"Uh-huh," the shorter of the two girls nodded. "Toji wasn't too impressed though."

"He'll get over it," Miki told her.

"Eventually," Horaki added.

"You know Toji. He's just being stubborn."

"Always is."

"I wonder how Ikari's parents feel about him having such a dangerous job," Sadamoto mused aloud.

"Shinji's an orphan," the brunette informed her. "His mother died about ten years ago."

"What about his father?"

"No one knows. She never told anyone who he was."

"So who's looking after him?"

"Nerv took custody of him," Hikari related.

"Isn't that who he's working for?"

"Yeah, both he and Ayanami," the brunette said. "He used to go to a boarding school in Kyoto, but they brought him here so he could pilot that robot for them."

"Not exactly nice of them," Miki commented. "Why'd they'd need him to pilot it?"

"Dunno," Hikari shrugged. "He won't say. He just says he's the only one who could, what ever that means."

Miki cocked her head at the shorter girl. "Sounds like the two of you are getting along well."

"Shinji's easy to get along with. It's just that most of the class is too afraid of Toji to try."

Sadamoto sighed. "You know, maybe I need to have a word with Mr. Suzuhara." A breeze blew a lock of her hair over her face, which she quickly brushed back behind her ear. "But I'll leave it a bit longer. Maybe the two of them will sort it out between themselves."

"I hope so," Hikari muttered sadly.

'_Not if I have any say in the matter they won't,_' she mentally snorted. She looked at her watch. "I better get going," she said aloud. "I'll see you in class."

"Bye, Miki," the brunette called after her as she walked away, smiling to herself. This little 'accidental meeting' had been a good idea.

- - -

Using his interlaced hands as a pillow, Shinji lay back on the grass, his eyes directed at the sky but not really taking it in. The gentle breeze ruffling his hair masking the sounds of Tokyo-3. He sighed softly and closed his eyes, letting his mind wander. A pair of red eyes filled his mind's eye and a smile played across his lips. At first he'd found the colour of her eyes disconcerting, but now it seemed perfectly natural; even soothing. The look in them was always one of calm repose. '_So soft and gentle, despite being the colour of blood,_' he thought. Even though he found the first-child's naivety grating at times, Shinji found her company relaxing.

Opening his eyes, the third-child let the cloud-strewn blue sky fill his vision, bringing to mind one of the few memories he had of his mother. A happy one, thankfully. The two of them were out walking. Shinji couldn't remember where, but that wasn't important. What was important was that both he and his mother were smiling as they walked, hand in hand, through a grassy field. It was at times like these that he could almost hear her voice, the rippling sound of her laughter seemingly just beyond the edge of his hearing.

Shinji sighed and shook the sudden sadness that had gripped him away. To distract himself, he focused his attention on a cloud, watching it as it drifted serenely across his field of vision. A new cloud floated into view and a frown creased his brow as he watched it. It was shaped like persons head, but he couldn't figure out whose? He closed is eyes and the red eyes once again appeared before him.

'_That's it!_' he realised, his eyes snapping open. '_That cloud kinda looks like Rei._' He pictured the eyes in the cloud. '_Definitely Rei._' He smiled again and exhaled hard. '_Blue skies and red eyes._'

To be continued...

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**Author Notes –**  
And Rei makes her first appearance. I know, I know, she doesn't seem that different from NGE. Perhaps a bit stiffer, but that's all. But, lets be honest here, the original character was such a masterstroke that there's not much else you can do with her.

A few of you have asked about Gendo. The only answer I'm going to give you is – wait and see. He will appear, in one form or another.


	4. Painful Lesons

**Disclaimer –**  
The original story Neon Genesis Evangelion, its characters and all other trademarks are used without permission. The originals are mine, and will be named in the author notes of the first chapter they appear in. I will be making no profit from this story.

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_**Evangelion Chronicles**_  
by Room3

**Chapter 04 **-_ Painful Lessons_

"How they doing?" Makoto asked as he entered the harmonics lab, his eyes taking in the scene. Maya was sat at her usual console, with Dr. Akagi behind her, checking figures. Another technician manned the other console, but the bespectacled lieutenant didn't recognise him.

"Fine," Ritsuko answered, looking over at him as he wandered over to her position. "Rei's synch-ratio is the same as it has been for the last couple of months."

"What about Shinji?" Hyuga enquired, staring at the faces in the video windows on the observation window.

"He's gained a couple of points since the battle," Maya informed him cheerfully.

"But he's still behind Rei by a fair bit," Akagi added. Despite her tone, she was cautiously optimistic. He had increased his score far more than she had thought he would have been able to.

"He looks tired," the pilot rep. commented, noticing the fatigue on the third-child's face.

"Well, this is the longest harmonics test he's had, so that's natural," the doctor stated calmly.

"How much longer?" Makoto asked.

"Another couple of minutes or so," the blonde doctor replied, checking the timer on Maya's console. She wrote something down on the clipboard in her arms. "By the way, we'll be running an activation test on Unit 00 on Monday," she added.

"You sure that's a good idea, doctor?" Hyuga questioned.

"Don't worry, it won't be a full power test," Ritsuko assured him, "and Unit 00 will be in full restraints."

"It'll be okay Makoto," Ibuki said, glancing over at him. "The first sign of anything wrong and we'll shut it down. Rei won't be at any risk."

"It was gonna happen sooner or later," the bespectacled shrugged, pushing his worry aside and placing his full trust in the petite brunette. He looked up at the first-child, pleased to note the swelling around her eye had completely gone. A short time later, a beeping sound pierced the silence.

"Data collection complete," the technician at the second console announced.

"Shut it down," the doctor ordered, leaning forward. She tapped a short sequence of keys on her assistant's console, opening a voice link to the pilots. "That's all for today," she told them. "You two can go now."

"Um... Doctor Akagi?" the third-child's voice intoned over the link, his tone uncertain.

"Yes, Shinji?" the blonde asked.

"I thought you wanted me to do a practise run in Unit 01," Ikari said.

"That was the plan," Akagi told him, "but this test ran longer that I'd intended. Best if you get some rest. We can do the practise run tomorrow."

"Okay," the boy responded.

'_Glad he bought it,_' Ritsuko thought. She had wanted him to do the run, even considering how tired he would be as a result of the harmonics test, but she'd remembered a promise she had to keep. And there would be no harm in letting the boy skip one day's practise.

- - -

Katsuragi tore the target sheet down and held it in front of her. She grimaced - the sight on her gun was out slightly. She put a fresh target sheet in the holder and hit the button on the side of the booth. The motor kicked in and the sheet was pulled backwards, fluttering slightly as it came to a stop at the distance the captain had preset.

She picked up the ear-protectors and slipped them on before donning the yellow tinted safety glasses. Satisfied with the way the glasses sat, she picked up her pistol and inserted the full clip that sat beside it on the ledge in front of her. Releasing the safety and cocking the weapon, she adjusted the sight slightly and pointed it at the target. Planting her feet firmly on the ground, she put her left hand on the butt of the gun and closed her left eye. Taking aim carefully she gently squeezed the trigger. The paper target fluttered as the bullet passed through it.

Misato lowered the gun slightly and looked at the target. Satisfied, she raised it once more and squeezed off a couple more rounds.

'_I need to practise more,_' she thought as she waited of the sheet to stop moving. '_You always used to tell me that I should practise, practise, practise if I ever want to do anything, didn't you, daddy?_' She sighed and lowered the gun, thumbing the safety back on. '_I know, I know. You think we shouldn't be using the children the way we are, but there is no other way._' She reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose, pushing the safety glasses up slightly in the process.

'_We need the Eva's to defeat the Angels. And we will defeat them, I promise you that. Nothing is going to stop me from making that happen. Nothing and no-one!_' She flipped the safety off and squeezed off the rest of the clip.

Ejecting the empty clip, she pressed the button on the side of the booth again and the target sheet fluttered forward. She pulled off the ear-protectors and safety glasses, dropping both on the ledge before her. The target sheet stopped in front of her and she ripped it down, holding it up to examine her accuracy.

"Good morning, captain," a male voice said, distracting her. She looked in the direction the voice had come, frowning at being interrupted.

"Lieutenant," she responded coldly, turning her attention back to the paper in her hands, intending to ignore the long-haired technician.

Shigeru walked over to her booth and whistled as he saw the cluster of holes in it. "You are good," he commented. "But aren't you supposed to aim for the chest?"

"Head shots guarantee success," Katsuragi answered coldly. "I can do better," she muttered, balling the sheet up and throwing it into the waste bin. She picked up the two empty clips and her pistol and walked passed him.

"Bye, captain," Aoba called as she disappeared from view.

- - -

"Are you sure it's a good idea to do it so soon?" Kouzou asked as he and Doctor Akagi exited his office. The blonde woman had just informed him of the timing of the activation test for Unit 00.

"Not completely," Ritsuko replied as the door hissed shut behind her. "That's why it's not going to be a full power test. And why it'll be completely restrained," she added as the two of them headed towards the professor's destination.

"So there will no danger to Rei?" Fuyutski enquired as they passed a flight of stairs leading towards the upper levels of headquarters.

"None," she assured him. "At the first sign of anything unusual the test will be aborted."

"Glad to hear it. The sooner Unit 00 is ready for combat the better."

"I agree," the doctor informed him as he stopped by an elevator. He pulled a keycard from his pocket and inserted it into the slot next to the door. A few moments later the card ejected and the doors opened. "We need to have a back up," she said as the pair got into the elevator car.

"Speaking of which, how's the 'Gemini' project coming along?" the grey-haired man asked as he pressed the button for the relevant level.

"Phase one is already underway," Ritsuko told him as the car began its descent. "We should be able to proceed to phase two in ten weeks if all goes well."

"Excellent," the head of Nerv commented. There was silence for a few moments, punctuated only by the whirring of the elevator mechanism. The car came to a halt with a slight judder and the doors slid open. "I assume you've heard about the incident in Germany," he said as he stepped out into the corridor and turned to his left.

"The failure of Unit 02's thermal regulatory system? Yes, sir."

"And?"

"You don't have to worry. Both Units 00 and 01 use a different system entirely. They've also just undergone a level three diagnostic and maintenance check," Akagi assured her superior, falling in step beside him. "But I've scheduled a test of both systems just to be on the safe side."

"I imagine the pilot had a few choice words to say," Kouzou chuckled.

"Knowing the second-child I'm sure they did," the blonde agreed. "At least they weren't hurt, just a little dehydrated."

"Any word on when Unit 02 will be transferred here?" the professor enquired. He knew that, sooner or later, the German built Evangelion would be assigned to the defence of Tokyo-3. And despite what he knew of the second-child's personality, it would be good for Rei to have someone besides Shinji living in the dormitory.

"Not yet," the blonde woman responded. "And I've requested that it undergoes a level four diagnostic before it leaves."

"Good idea," Kouzou responded, mentally agreeing with her decision. It wasn't often that the two disagreed on anything fortunately. They walked in silence for a few moments. "How do you feel Shinji's training is proceeding?"

"He's progressing nicely," the doctor informed him. "His accuracy with the pallet rifle could be better, but his pistol work is excellent."

"Understandable. The academy didn't have the resources to teach anything other than pistol shooting," the commander replied. "What about the progressive knife?"

"Well, he seems to be able to handle it well but we haven't, as yet, been able to test him under combat conditions with it," she related. "Lieutenant Ibuki's working on a simulation for that now. Once it's ready, I'll have both Shinji and Rei run through it."

"What about the second-child's training?" the professor asked, stopping in front of a door with an electronic keypad beside it.

"Reports indicate that they are proving proficient with all the Eva's weaponry, including the progressive knife," his companion replied as he typed in a series of seven digits and the lock on the door released with an audible click.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?!" Fuyutski asked flippantly, a smile on his lips. Ritsuko felt her own lips turn upwards to match his. She was about to say something when a quiet beeping interrupted her. Looking at her watch, she sighed and pressed button, silencing the alarm.

"If you'll excuse me, professor," she said.

"Of course doctor," he responded cordially and opened the door, leaving his second-in-command alone in the hallway. She stood where she was only long enough for the door to close and the lock reseal it before she walked away.

'_Time to see the results of the latest test,_' she thought as she headed to a different part of Terminal Dogma.

- - -

"Hey, Ikari," Kensuke whispered as Professor Koyasu began to loose himself in his lecture. Today being Thursday meant the lecture would be money related, and he had chosen the economy of pre-Second Impact Thailand. After checking the teacher had his back turned, Ikari swung round in his chair to speak to the bespectacled youth, quickly checking to see what Toji was doing; he had his headphones on and his eyes closed.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Where's Ayanami?" Aida enquired, having noticed the blue-haired girl's absence and been puzzled by it.

"I dunno," Shinji shrugged. "Makoto told me she wouldn't be coming today, but he didn't say why."

"Didn't she say anything?" Kensuke asked, his mind running through various possibilities, some of which were quite outrageous. He guessed it wasn't work related though, as he thought Shinji would know if it that were the case.

"No, but then, she's not really the sociable type," the third-child related. "She doesn't really say that much and I generally have to start any conversations." Feeling like someone was staring at him, he looked round to see Toji's eyes opened and locked on him. '_Thank God looks can't kill,_' Ikari thought. He looked back at Aida and jerked his head towards Suzuhara. The bespectacled boy got the message and turned his attention to his friend.

"What the hell were you talking to him for?!" Shinji heard Toji demand as he turned in his chair once more.

"I was just asking where Ayanami was," Kensuke replied defensively. A quiet ringing sound distracted Ikari and it took him a couple of moments before he realised it was coming from his bag. Opening the brown leather satchel beside his desk, he pulled out the cell phone Makoto had given him, eliciting a number of stares as he did.

- - -

'_What the hell is he doing with a cell phone?_' Miki asked herself as she watched Shinji answer the electronic device in question. He spoke a couple of times, nodded once or twice and grunted a few times.

"Um, excuse me, Professor Koyasu?" he said loudly, getting to his feet.

"...now, of course, the government wasn't too happy with..." the teacher said, trailing off as he realised he had been spoken to. He turned around. "Yes, Mr. Ikari?" he asked, seeing the boy on his feet.

"I have to go," Shinji replied, still holding the phone, as if seeing it should mean something to the absentminded teacher.

"Ah, of course," Jin responded, running his hand through his grey hair. "You may leave."

"Thank you, sir," the boy said as he headed for the door, school bag in hand and drawing a number of envious glances.

'_How the hell does he warrant being allowed out of class early?_' the class rep. pondered as she heard his footsteps run down the corridor.

"Now then, where was I? Ah yes," Jin muttered to himself. "As I was saying, the Thai government was not particularly pleased with the events of..."

Miki sighed to herself as she blocked out the elderly professor's ramblings. She had hoped Ikari's interruption would distract him for longer. No such luck. And with the boy gone, for whatever the reason was, there was no chance of an argument between him and Suzuhara. She began to drum her fingers on the wooden surface of her desk, trying to think of something to distract herself from the rambling old fool stood at the blackboard.

She jumped, as did the rest of the students, when a loud siren began to wail. It had only been heard once before and could mean only one thing – an Angel attack.

- - -

"Man! I can't believe it!" Kensuke exclaimed loudly, catching Hikari's attention as she wandered around the shelter, talking to her classmates. She quickly went over to him.

"What is it?" the girl asked, crouching down next to her friend. He had a small television in his hands and was flicking through the channels.

"It's a complete media black-out," the boy complained, gesturing to the screen. "The government doesn't want anyone to see what's going on."

"I'm sure they've got their reasons," Horaki told him, her tone soothing.

"But I wanna see the battle!" Aida all but yelled, flicking off the television in disgust. He spotted Miki looking over at him, her disgusted look encouraging him to keep his voice down and he dropped his gaze to the floor.

"Well, at least we're safe in here," the girl commented softly, resting her hand on his slumped shoulder.

"I guess," the bespectacled youth sighed. He looked up suddenly and looked around, getting to his feet.

"What's the matter?" Hikari asked, noticing the concerned look that spread across the boy's face.

"Where's Toji?"

- - -

"So that's an Angel huh?" Toji muttered as the gentle breeze ruffled his hair. He stood on a hillside overlooking the city, watching as the attacker slowly drifted through the deserted streets. "Sure doesn't look like much," he commented under his breath. The thing was big, he had to admit that; it towered over many of the buildings it floated between. But the thing looked like a green pyramid that had been turned on its head. The boy couldn't see any distinguishing features on the apparently smooth sides.

'_So where the heck's that damned robot?_' Suzuhara wondered, his eyes scanning the empty streets for any sign of it.

- - -

Shinji tightened his grip on the control yokes as he gave his head a gentle shake, forcing away the nausea the G-forces launching had caused, glad of the cushioning effect of the LCL. The door in front of the Eva retracted allowing him to see the deserted city.

"Eva Unit 01, move out!" he heard Captain Katsuragi order over the active voice link to headquarters. Slowly he moved the robot forward and towards the nearest armoury building. As he neared it, it opened up and held out a rifle. Grasping it tightly, he turned around and looked at the Angel, spotting the red orb that had been identified as its core.

The thing was still floating serenely through Tokyo and hadn't done anything since it had been detected. Almost as if it was waiting for something. Using the armoury building for cover, he waited for it to move within range.

"Target is now within firing range," Makoto reported.

"Pilot, fire at will," Katsuragi's voice told him. Shinji nodded to himself and stepped around the building. Just as he'd been taught, he targeted the Angel and opened fire, stepping back behind the armoury building as the Angel became hidden from view.

"I'm registering an increase in the target's thermal signature," Hyuga's voice said, issuing from the comm. system.

- - -

'_What the heck is that?_' Toji wondered as he noticed a glowing spot appear on the Angel's top. It grew brighter, then flew towards the Eva. As it touched the building the robot was hiding behind, it exploded with a blinding flash. The boy closed his eyes and turned away as the incredibly intense light hurt his eyes.

- - -

The third-child rubbed his head where it had impacted the back of the control seat. Looking up, he was shocked to see the armoury building reduced to a pile of smoking melted slag. He froze for a moment before his self-preservation instincts cut in and he scrambled behind another high-rise, panting in surprise.

- - -

"What was that?" Ritsuko asked, tearing her eyes away from the main display.

"Some form of superheated plasma," Shigeru replied, reading the analysis his console was supplying him with. "Temperature in excess of one thousand Kelvin." He had to shield his eyes as another burst exploded of the main screen.

"Where are they coming from?" Misato asked calmly, blinking away the spots flashing before her eyes. The long-haired technician's hand danced across his keyboard for a few moments.

"They appear to be coming from a point between the horns-like structures on the Angel's uppermost surface," Aoba reported, his screen showing him a close-up on the triangular area in question.

"Ikari, target the horns," the captain instructed the boy.

- - -

Steeling himself, Shinji stepped out from behind the building he was hiding behind and raised the rifle. He took aim and opened fire for a few seconds. Most of the rounds missed, but several hit one of the horns, breaking it off. Sighing to himself, the boy lowered the rifle.

"Energy build-up detected in the target," he heard Makoto say.

"Is it going to self-destruct?" Katsuragi's voice asked calmly.

"Negative," he heard the bespectacled technician reply. "The signature closely resembles the one from the previous Angel as it restored itself."

"Meaning it's trying to re-grow the horn," the captain surmised.

"That's certainly a logical conclusion," Dr. Akagi said in a cool and clinical tone. Ikari spotted a movement out of the corner of his eye - he'd been looking at the damage the Angel had caused, hoping desperately that one had been hurt. His eyes opened wide as he watched two glowing yellow tentacles wave around in front of the Angel. They were connected to the two sides facing him, about a third of the way up from the bottom.

- - -

"Where the hell did those come from?" the director of Operations asked as she spotted the swaying tentacles.

"So, it can upgrade its capabilities," the professor muttered from his position. "Should of realised it would be able to do something like that."

"What are those things made of?" Ritsuko asked.

Kouzou smiled at her question. '_Always the scientist._'

"They appear to be some kind of focused thermal energy," Makoto replied.

- - -

The movement of the tentacles seemed almost hypnotic to the pilot. He watched, practically mesmerised, as they undulated around the Angel. They seemed to freeze for a moment, then one shot forward towards him. With a gasp, the boy made the Eva jump backwards. The tentacle barely missed the machine, but did smash into the rifle he was holding, destroying it. He moved backwards again as the other tentacle flew towards him. He evaded the strike, but the building beside him wasn't so lucky - a section of it was sliced through and fell to the street below. Again he leapt aside, this time the tentacle sliced through the Eva's umbilical cable.

"Switching to internal batteries," Shigeru's voice told him. "Five minutes activation time remaining." A timer appeared to the boy's left, showing the remaining time.

- - -

Toji shook his head and looked away in disgust as the purple robot kept moving backwards to avoid the advancing Angel's attack. '_I can't believe he's loosing,_' he thought. '_Idiot!_' Looking back, he frowned. The robot was nowhere to be seen. A sudden darkness made him look up to see what was obscuring the sunlight.

"OH SHIT!" the boy shouted as he saw the Eva falling towards him. He dropped to the floor, wrapping his arms around his head.

- - -

The third-child cringed a little at the force of the landing, grateful once again for the cushioning of the LCL. Shaking his head, he looked up, watching as the Angel began to advance towards him, the tentacles waving back and forth in front of it.

A beeping sound distracted him and he looked down. His eyes widened as he saw something move under Unit 01's hand. He turned the robot's head to get a better view and inhaled sharply the figure looked up and he recognised who it was.

- - -

"Who the hell is that?!" Katsuragi demanded as the feed of the Eva's view showed a boy cowering beneath the Eva's right hand. A window opened on the main screen, showing a school record.

"It's one of Shinji's classmates," Makoto replied, noticing the class number listed for the boy. '_Suzuhara... Where do I know that name from?_'

"What the hell is he doing there?!" Misato spat.

- - -

Suzuhara's breath was ragged as he stared up at the giant robot's face like a deer caught in headlights. Slowly, the hand surrounding him was raised. A moment later, the purple machine's head snapped round and its arms shot out. Looking to the side, Toji saw the hands holding the glowing tentacles, smoke rising from them.

'_Why doesn't he do something?_' the boy wondered after the robot had just sat there for a while. '_Oh shit! He can't! Not while I'm here._'

- - -

"That kid is expendable," the director of Operations said calmly. She'd spent the last half minute or so evaluating the situation had made her conclusion.

"WHAT?!" Akagi shrieked, staring at the captain.

"How can you say such a thing?!" Maya demanded as all eyes turned towards the purple-haired woman.

"It was his choice to be there instead of a shelter," Misato responded coldly. "He chose to put his life in jeopardy. Besides, he is only one person. Destroying the Angel will save the lives of everyone in the city."

"No-one is expendable captain," Fuyutski said firmly, standing by his desk and staring down at the woman. "Lieutenant Ibuki, eject the entry-plug and get that kid aboard." Maya nodded as her hands input the relevant commands.

- - -

Toji watched as a piece of armour on the back of the robot's neck moved upwards and a white cylinder slid out. He stared at it, blinking in confusion.

"Get in!" a voice yelled at him over a loudspeaker. Giving himself a little shake, the boy got to his feet and ran over to the robot. He quickly clambered up and climbed in through the open top of the cylinder, surprised by the splash caused by landing in the yellow liquid that filled it. Before he could say anything, the top slid back into place and he was plunged into darkness. He coughed and spluttered as the strange tasting liquid filled his lungs, but once it had he found that he could breathe normally.

Suddenly lights came on and he found himself in what he could only describe as a cockpit. In front of him was a seat on which sat Shinji Ikari. Beyond that was some kind of display, showing what was going on outside. He frowned slightly as he noticed what the boy was wearing and the blue triangular shapes in his hair. To his left was some kind of timer. It was counting down and had just reached one minute. Looking at the display, he saw the green Angel flung aside by the robot.

"Increase in thermal signature detected," a voice shouted, distorted by whatever speaker it was coming from. His eyes glued to the screen in front of him, he saw a bright white light flying towards him. There was a bright flash and Shinji screamed out, as if in agony.

'_What the hell was that?!_' Toji wondered as he felt a tingle in his left arm. He shook it, blinking his eyes as the glare faded.

- - -

"Eva status?" Katsuragi questioned.

"The left arm is badly burnt," Shigeru reported, reading the damage report that was being relayed to his console. "I'd advise against continued combat."

"The pilot's injured, minor burning on his left arm," Maya added, seeing Shinji clutching his left forearm on the small window to the entry-plug she had open in front of her. '_Not that you care._'

"Dammit!" the captain cursed. "Unit 01, return to base."

- - -

"Dammit!" a female voice could be heard to say over the sound of Shinji's panting. "Unit 01, return to base."

"You heard her," Toji said, speaking for the first time since getting into the robot. He'd remained silent for fear of distracting the boy, but now that seemed irrelevant.

"No," the third-child said, his breathing still heavy. "I won't run away." He looked up and gripped the control yoke again. A growl rose from deep in his throat and the robot began to move forward.

"What the hell you doing?!" Suzuhara demanded, catching himself as he was about to reach for the boy. Ikari ignored him.

- - -

The staff in the command centre could only watch in surprise as the Eva ran towards the Angel, evading another plasma burst. Reaching up, the robot drew its progressive knife from its shoulder wing as it closed on the target.

"Idiot!" Katsuragi muttered.

"Activation time down to thirty seconds," Shigeru announced.

- - -

Toji fought back the fear that threatened to grip him as the robot charged towards its enemy. The glowing tentacles shot out and he heard Shinji grunt in pain as a sudden sickness filled his own stomach. The boy in the control seat slumped forward for a moment, before looking up and yelling.

- - -

Makoto sighed slightly as he saw Unit 01 move. He'd been worried that Shinji had been injured further by the Angel's tentacles. He could hear the boy's cry over the comm. link, as could the rest of the command staff.

On the main display, the image of the Eva gripped the prog knife with both hands and rammed it into the red orb. There was an ear-splitting grating sound and sparks flew as the vibrating blade began to bite into the core.

- - -

Inside the entry-plug, Shinji continued to yell, as if trying to force the knife further in by sheer force of will. Toji could just about hear a male reading out a countdown over the boy's cry. As it reached five, the glow from the red orb and the tentacles began to die and they turned dark. At zero, the cockpit was plunged into darkness. The only sounds that of the two boys' breathing, one harder than the other.

"You okay, Ikari?" Suzuhara asked, his concern showing in his voice.

"I'm fine," Shinji replied quietly, his breathing ragged from his exertions. He slumped forward in the control seat, grateful his companion wouldn't able to see him and closed his eyes as the adrenaline faded and the pain in his arm began to resurface.

- - -

Fuyutski watched the main display thoughtfully. He was pleased the Angel had been defeated, but Shinji's disobedience would have to be punished.

On the screen, the Angel began to sink to the floor, the Eva's elbows bending downwards under the weight. When they could bend no more, the Angel slid off the knife. It hit the grass with a resounding thud. The professor couldn't help but smile a little as he watched.

- - -

Shinji shifted his left arm back towards him so the tender spot no longer rested on the edge of his desk. It was still early, with less than half the class having arrived, but the boy had awoken early and hadn't felt like waiting at the dorm. So here he sat, waiting for the school day to start and waiting to be bored by another lecture on the pre-Second Impact world. He looked up as he felt someone staring at him. It was Toji.

"What happened to your arm?" Suzuhara asked, a frown creasing his brow.

"What? This?" the third-child replied, holding up his bandaged limb. The boy stood beside him nodded. "It got burnt during the battle."

"How?" Toji questioned, his frowning deepening.

Shinji lowered his arm carefully back to its previous position before answering. "I feel everything the Eva feels," he replied after a moment, shrugging. There was no other way to explain it to the boy.

An image of how Unit 01 appeared after the two boys had been released form the entry-plug flashed through Toji's mind - its left forearm was a blackened and twisted mess, caused by the heat it had endured and there were two holes through the abdominal area which looked like something had burnt its way through.

"Whoa," Suzuhara muttered. He was lost in silent thought for a moment before he spoke again. "So when I got that tingling in my arm-"

"Was probably when the Eva's arm got burnt," the pilot finished for him. "You probably felt the tentacles pierce the abdomen too."

"I did feel a little queasy at one point," Toji admitted softly. He looked at Shinji, with an expression on his face that the third-child could not decipher. "Why the heck do you pilot that thing?"

"Because they need me to," Ikari replied simply.

"Can't anyone else?"

"My Eva's the only one ready for combat," Shinji informed is classmate.

"What about that blue-haired girl?"

"Ayanami? Her Eva isn't ready."

"And when it is?"

"I dunno. I guess we'll be working together," Ikari said thoughtfully.

"Glad to see you two getting along," a cheery male voice from behind Toji said. The two looked over to the door and saw Kensuke walking over to them.

"We're not," Suzuhara responded quickly. "I just wondered what happened to his arm; it seemed fine after the battle."

"How would you know?" Aida enquired.

"I watched it."

"You did?!" the bespectacled youth gasped, remembering to keep his voice down. His friend nodded.

"Partially from inside the entry-plug," Shinji added.

"HE GOT TO BE INSIDE?!" Kensuke demanded loudly, no longer caring who heard him. The third-child nodded. "How?!" he asked. He had to know. His bedroom walls were full of newspaper cuttings of the first battle and it was is dream to have the chance to pilot one of those robots.

"He got caught on the battle field," Ikari explained. "If he hadn't gotten in, he'd be dead."

"You lucky..." Aida muttered, shaking his head.

"Hey, Ikari," Toji said, distracting his friend from finishing his comment. "There's something I've been meaning to ask."

"What?" the pilot asked curiously, cocking his head to one side.

"What the heck was that stuff in the cockpit?"

"It's called LCL," Shinji replied. "It's something to do with the control system. I don't really how it works. It's supposed to help link me to the Eva."

"So that's how I felt that stuff?"

"Probably," the pilot shrugged. "Oh, and I've been ordered by Captain Katsuragi to tell you not to reveal anything you saw in the entry-plug."

Toji tried to picture the woman the boy was referring to; he knew he knew the name. Then it hit him. "You mean that purple-haired babe who chewed you out?" Shinji nodded in response.

Toji thought back to the events of the day before. He'd only been able to stand watching, dumbstruck, as this incredibly beautiful woman, who could have been no more than twenty-five or thirty, had ripped into the pilot, using language that would've made even the coarsest truck-driver blush.

"Don't worry about that," Suzuhara assured the still seated boy. "I never wanna be on the receiving end of that kind of tirade. And I don't wanna think about the battle again either. I'm sticking to the shelters from now on." With that, Toji walked away, headed for his own seat, his bespectacled friend a few steps behind him.

'_That kid's got more guts than I gave him credit for,_' Suzuhara thought as he sat down at his desk, dropping his satchel on the windowsill beside his seat. '_At least that explains why he screamed the way he did._' He looked at the back of Ikari's head thoughtfully. '_Who'd've thought piloting a robot would be so difficult?_'

- - -

Arching his back, Makoto stretched his arms out as far as they would go, groaning a little as he felt a slight twinge in his right shoulder. Dropping his arms, he looked back at his console. The Magi were still analysing the data. Having a bit of free time, he allowed his mind to drift back to the thing that had been bothering him since the day before.

"You are injured." Those three little words, even with as little emotion behind them as there had been had surprised the technician. He had not expected Rei to comment on the boy's injured arm. And he definitely hadn't expected to hear the concern in her tone. Most people would have missed it, but being familiar with Rei meant it had been clear to the lieutenant.

He'd had to school his expression carefully to avoid showing his surprise. He'd been concentrating on that so much that he'd missed Shinji's response. Knowing how the two pilots had been interacting, Hyuga was sure it had been a casual response. Everything about the two of them talking or doing anything was casual.

'_Could they be...?_' he wondered, startled by his own chain of thoughts. '_Nah, they couldn't be. At least, not yet anyway._' He sighed. '_Maybe I should tell Professor Fuyutski,_' he wondered. '_But tell him what? That the two of them a getting along well. He already knows that._'

A beeping from his console interrupted the pilot rep's thoughts. Pushing the matter aside, he vowed to give it more thought later and turned his attention to the work Captain Katsuragi had set him.

- - -

Kensuke shifted to his left slightly as Hikari sat down under the tree next to him, taking advantage of the shade the foliage offered from the intense heat of the midday sun.

"Was I imagining things or was Toji actually speaking to Shinji this morning?" the girl asked after she'd taken a drink from the bottle she held in one hand.

"Nope. He was talking to him alright," the bespectacled youth replied, smiling.

"Why?"

"You must've noticed the bandage on Ikari's arm," Aida said. Horaki nodded. "Well Toji was wondering how it happened."

"He was worried about him?" the pig-tailed brunette asked, her tone making it clear she found it hard to believe.

"More like curious," Kensuke answered thoughtfully. "You see, Toji said Ikari didn't appear to be injured after the battle."

"How would he know that?"

"He watched it. He even got inside that robot of his."

"He got inside the Eva?" Hikari asked, a little surprised that her friend didn't seem to know the machine's name.

"Yep."

"So that's where he was," she muttered, remembering that Suzuhara had been missing from the shelter; she'd just thought he'd gotten lost and had wound up in the wrong one. "Why'd he decide to watch?" she asked Aida, not bring able to make sense of her friend's actions.

"Wouldn't say," the boy shrugged. "My guess is he felt a little guilty about hitting the guy. Probably thought he owed it to him."

"Sure sounds like something he'd do," Horaki agreed, a smile tugging at the edge off her lips. She frowned slightly as she realised something. "Where is Toji anyway?"

"At the hospital," the bespectacled youth replied. "He didn't get a chance to see Noriko yesterday with all the excitement."

"Oh. Any word on her condition?" the brunette asked. She'd babysat the Suzuhara girl several time and genuinely liked her.

"No change," the boy said sadly.

After a few moments silence, Hikari spoke again, saying "I suppose you've asked him what it was like?"

"I did. But he's been ordered not to talk about it," Kensuke admitted once he'd realised to what and who she was referring, sounding a little crestfallen. He lay down on the grass and stared up at the leaves overhead. "One little bit he did let slip is that Ikari feels everything that happens to the robot."

"So something happened to the Eva?" his friend asked, looking down at him.

"Its arm got burnt. Real bad according to Toji."

"Poor Shinji," the girl murmured, looking out over the schoolyard and watching her fellow students. A number were playing what looked like it was meant to be soccer, but she couldn't be sure. '_Why are they running around in this heat?_' she wondered, wiping her brow. '_Sure hope this heat-wave doesn't last long!_'

"Kind of makes you wonder why he pilots, doesn't it?" Aida said.

"That's just who he is," Horaki responded, dragging her attention back to her friend. To the bespectacled youth, it almost sounded as if she were defending the boy. "The two of you would get along fine – as long as you didn't pester him about Nerv and the Eva all the time."

"Sorry, but I'm not going to risk Toji's temper," the boy informed her, closing his eyes lazily. "He was angry enough when I asked Ikari where Ayanami was yesterday."

- - -

Miki watched the group of boys as they ran around with very little interest. From her vantage point on the roof it looked like they were playing some kind of ball game. She wasn't really interested in what they were doing, but there was almost no-one else visible from where she stood; they were all taking advantage of what little shade there was scattered throughout the grounds. She snorted in disgust and headed over to the shaded spot she'd left her bag at. Most days she could stand up here and watch the student body as they went about their trivial pursuits.

'_At least I'll be able to tell who was crazy enough to be playing whatever that was,_' she thought, doubting that any of those currently running round the schoolyard had brought any kind of deodorant. '_Whether I want to or not!_' Mopping her brow, she sat down against the wall. She looked at her lunch, then looked away, letting her mind wander.

'_Dammit, I haven't reamed Suzuhara for wandering off like that yesterday!_' she realised, her eyes widening in surprise. It was something she'd intended to do first thing that morning, but she hadn't. Because the boy had been talking to Ikari when she'd walked in. And that was something that she hadn't expected. One part of her was worried that they'd figured out...

'_Nah,_' she thought, cutting off that line of thought. '_They won't. They ain't smart enough for that._' Of course, it was then she remembered the rumours she'd heard whispered about during class – that Suzuhara had been on the battlefield and had gotten inside Ikari's robot. '_That must be what they were talking about. Damn, hope they don't start liking each other because of that. That'd make it almost impossible get them fighting again!_' And their antagonism was one of the few things that helped the time pass during the day.

'_That new girl sure is a disappointment,_' she decided, thinking about the blue-haired Ayanami girl. She knew the rumours that she lived with Ikari were true, having sneaked a look at her records. She'd even tried circulating a story that Ayanami was something of a slut and would sleep with pretty much anyone, but the girl hadn't reacted to it at all. Even after Ikari had told her what 'a slut' was! '_And how the hell could she not know what a slut is?_' the class rep. wondered.

Miki shook her head and took yet another look at the pile of food in front of her. She sighed. It was appetising, and she hadn't eaten since breakfast, but she just couldn't bring herself to eat anything. "Must be the heat," she muttered She carefully rewrapped everything and was about to place it in her bag when she realised how much of a stink her mother would cause if she knew that her daughter hadn't eaten anything. She thought idly of tossing it off the roof, watching the reactions of her fellow students as it rained down on top of them. The idea did make her smile a little, but she doubted she'd get away with it.

"Guess I'll just have to dump it before I get home," she murmured softly, leaning her head back on the cooler stone wall. The only reason she'd picked this spot was because it was the only part of the roof that was in shade. She normally enjoyed the heat, but it was just too damned oppressive today and, as such, she had had to resort to hiding out in the shade like almost everyone else. She packed the food away and looked at her watch. Only ten minutes left of lunch. '_I'd better head back in,_' she thought, getting to her feet. '_Maybe I can find a way to get some kind of reaction out of Ayanami this afternoon._'

She straightened up, smiling at the thought, and took a deep breath, hissing as a sudden sharp pain shot through her left hand side, just underneath her breast. She leant against the side of the building, right hand on the tender spot and dropping her satchel. '_Dammit! I must've slept more awkwardly than I thought._' A few moments later and the pain faded. She took a few moments to compose herself and picked up her schoolbag and headed back inside, flicking her hair over her shoulders as she began to descend the stairs.

To be continued...

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**Author Notes –**  
Another chapter, another Angel. And yes, I know how much like the events of the fourth Angel from NGE the battle was, but the differences were there and have their reasons.

In response to taekmkm's query bout the incident involving Rei after her shower, I'd like to say that is was added to show how little she understands things like social etiquette and taboo's. I did not add it merely for the sake of gratuitous nudity as some people may believe.


	5. Seeds Of The Future

**Disclaimer **–

The original story Neon Genesis Evangelion, its characters and all other trademarks are used without permission. The originals are mine, and will be named in the author notes of the first chapter they appear in. I will be making no profit from this story.

**_Evangelion Chronicles_  
**by Room3

**Chapter 05 **– _Seeds Of The Future_

"So, Unit 00 is now ready for combat?" Keele's voice asked over the phone.

"That's what Dr. Akagi assures me," Fuyutski replied, unconsciously fiddling with the phone's cable. "The latest activation test was a complete success. No abnormalities whatsoever."

"Just as well," the head of Seele said, "considering the current state of Unit 01. Have you discovered the source of the problem yet?"

"Dr. Akagi says she has isolated it and will have it sorted within the next four or five days at most," Kouzou answered, leaning back in his chair while his fingers continued to play with the cable.

"So by this time next week you will have two fully functional Evangelions. Excellent," Lorentz commented. "I assume you know about the 'Jet-Alone' trial?" he asked, his tone making it clear how unhappy he was about it.

"Yes, I do."

"And?"

"I've sent Dr. Akagi as our representative," the professor answered. "Personally, I don't think we have anything to worry about. They don't even know about AT Fields, yet alone have any idea as to what is necessary to generate one. And without that capacity, those expensive toys of theirs have no chance of defeating the Angels."

"True," the elder of the two murmured grudgingly. "But still, a successful trial-run would cause more than a few problems for us."

"Yes, it would," Fuyutski agreed. "But I have a feeling that that won't be a problem," he added casually.

"Oh?"

"I have a bad feeling that there will be some kind of malfunction during the test," Kouzou related innocently. "You know how poor quality Spanish manufacturing is these days. And I believe a large number of parts for the one they're testing were made in Spain."

"I see your point," Lorentz replied, understanding dawning on him. He should have suspected that the situation would be in hand already. "Have a copy of Dr. Akagi's report forwarded to me would you."

"Certainly, Lorentz. Is there anything else?" Fuyutski enquired, sitting up in his seat and extracting his fingers from the phone cord.

"Actually, yes. The committee has received an official letter of complaint from the chief engineer of Unit 02 in Germany. He was rather upset by the request he received last week."

"I thought he might be," the commander of Nerv admitted, sighing. He began drumming his fingers on his desk. "But with the problems they've had under his tenure, not to mention the difficulties we've had here, a level four diagnostic seems a perfectly logical precaution. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I'll take your word for it, Kouzou. You know I'm not that good with the technical stuff," Keele responded, his tone showing that he could see the professor's point of view. "I'll have a response sent to him letting him know the request stands."

"That would be appreciated, thank you."

"You'll still have to explain the request at Thursday's committee meeting."

"I thought I might."

"Well then, until Thursday."

"Until Thursday," Fuyutski repeated. The line went dead and he placed the handset back on its base unit. He was about to open a file on his desk when there was a knock at his office door.

"Enter." The door slid open to reveal Lieutenant Ibuki; she was clutching a rather thick file in her hands. "Yes, lieutenant?"

"Dr. Akagi told me to bring these to you sir," Maya informed him, walking over to his desk and placing the papers down.

The professor grimaced as he looked at the size of the pile. "She's always so damned thorough," he muttered, eliciting a grin from Ibuki. "All I asked for was a comparison on the two Angel encounters so far."

"She just wanted to make sure all the data you needed was here," the lieutenant replied. The professor had to hide the frown he felt wanted to develop at her tone. It had sounded almost…defensive? Ritsuko had commented on how skilled her assistant was on many occasions. Could it be that she had been the one to compile the data? Or was there something else going on?

"I'm sure it will be," he replied, a fake smile on his lips. "Was there anything else, lieutenant?"

"No, sir," Maya responded, shaking her head.

"Then I'll let you get back to work. I believe you're in charge of the team working on Unit 01?"

"I am, sir," she replied. "But I've also got to cover Dr. Akagi's assignments until she gets back." She sighed softly as she realised just how much work that would entail. '_At least I won't be bored._'

"Well, don't work too hard," Kouzou told her. "And remember to delegate jobs to other people. You don't have to do every little thing yourself."

"I will, sir," Ibuki assured him before turning around and walking from the room. As the door slid shut behind her the professor took another look at the pile of paperwork she'd deposited on his desk and exhaled noisily.

"This is gonna take a while," he muttered, moving the pile towards him. A closer examination showed that the pile had been broken up into a number of smaller sections, each within its own folder. He picked up the first one and began to read.

"Will you be going to school tomorrow?" Shinji asked the blue-haired girl sat across from him. They were sat at the large dining table in the dormitory's living room.

She looked up from the meal the two of them had prepared. He'd asked that question every evening for the last several days. Blinking once, she replied calmly "I will."

"Where'd you go?" Ikari asked as she chewed a mouthful of noodles. He'd been wanting to ask that question for days, but hadn't had the nerve to do so. He looked down at his plate, focusing on the food sat there.

Rei swallowed before speaking, a puzzled expression creasing her brow. "Where did I go when?" she enquired.

"The day of the last Angel attack," the boy clarified.

"I was assisting Dr. Akagi," the first-child informed him. "I am not at liberty to discuss what I was doing."

"Oh," Shinji responded absently, lifting his laden chopsticks to his mouth. He stared at the food for a moment, as if trying to figure something out, before putting it in his mouth. "What do you think of it? School, I mean."

"School is still a new experience for me," Ayanami answered softly. "It is…unsettling to be around so many young people." She looked at him. "You have always attended to school for your educational needs, have you not?"

"Uh-huh," the boy nodded.

"I am puzzled by our teacher. The literature I have read about school mentions that we should be taught a variety of different subjects, most of which will assist us in the future. Our teacher seems to be failing in that. All of his lessons revolve around the world of the past. I do not see how knowledge of events prior to Second Impact will be of any assistance to us with our future endeavours." She paused for a moment, looking thoughtful. "Also, our fellow students do not appear to be paying any attention to his lessons. Is this the normal situation in school?"

"What, students ignoring teachers?" Ikari replied, leaning back in his chair. "It happens a lot," he shrugged. "And as for our teacher…" he trailed off, lost in thought. "Well, I'm not sure why he teaches what he does. He just gets started talking about something and completely looses touch with reality."

"I see," the girl said, placing her chopsticks down on her now empty plate. "And our fellow students?"

"I dunno. I guess they've just gotten used to him and his ways."

"And what of the syllabus that Professor Koyasu is supposed to be teaching us?" Rei enquired, cocking her head to one side.

"Haven't got a clue," the third-child shrugged. He looked down at his empty plate. "You know, Ayanami, I think you've gotten the hang of noodles. Perhaps you'd like to try something else tomorrow?"

"That would be agreeable."

"I've got a couple of ideas. If I make a list, can you get a few things from the store after school tomorrow? I would, but Makoto told me Lieutenant Ibuki wants me for something."

"I do not believe I shall have any difficulty completing such a task."

"Thanks."

Silence reigned between the two for a few moments, before Rei spoke again. "I find I have a question that I would like to ask you, but I am unsure of how you would react to it."

Shinji looked at the girl for a moment. He could see the indecision in her eyes. It was faint, but having gotten used to her, Ikari could see it. "What's the question?" he asked, before quickly adding "I'm not saying I'll answer it though."

"What was it like piloting the Evangelion during battle?" Ayanami responded with a barely perceptible pause.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because Unit 00 is now ready for combat and I found myself…uncertain about the prospect," the first-child replied, looking down at her empty plate. She looked up at Shinji, staring him in the eye. "I am curious as to how you feel about piloting during combat."

"To be honest, it's something I wish wasn't necessary," the boy said, sighing. "Both times I've launched, I've been scared out of my mind, worried I won't come back. But once I'm out there, I push that fear away. If I don't, then I wouldn't be able to pilot. I'd just…run away, I guess."

"What is fear?" the blue-haired girl enquired.

"You don't know?"

"I would not have asked if I did know," she replied calmly.

"Fear can be many things," the third-child said, thinking hard and creasing his brow. "It holds you back." Shinji stood up and began pacing. "When you're afraid, you wonder whether or not you're doing the right thing. You wonder 'is it worth it?' It makes you question yourself and your worth." He paused to think

"Fear is bad then?" Rei asked, watching the boy.

"Not always," Ikari replied. "Fear can also be good sometimes." He caught her expression. "It stops you making mistakes," he explained, "from trying to do things that you can't."

"Fear assists one in knowing their limitations."

"Yes."

"But do you not have to surpass your limitations in order to grow?" Ayanami enquired.

"I guess so," Shinji shrugged.

"What of fear then?"

"You push it aside, take no notice of it."

"Is that easy to do?"

"Sometimes," the third-child responded, dropping heavily into one of the chairs in front of the television. "But sometimes it's almost impossible to ignore." He looked over at the girl. "You know, some people say you can only feel alive when you're afraid."

"How do you know when you are afraid?"

"Me?" the boy asked. Rei nodded. "Let's see," Ikari murmured thoughtfully. "I sweat. I breathe faster," he said. Lifting his left hand he added "My left hand twitches. I swallow a lot. My stomach feels queasy. I get jumpy."

"Does everyone react in the same manner?" the blue-haired first-child asked.

"I don't know," Shinji answered, his head shaking slightly. "Are you afraid to pilot during a battle?"

The girl was silent for a short time, her eyes looking downwards. "I believe that I am," she murmured softly, blinking.

Makoto walked across the umbilical bridge and stooped next the grey-haired figure who was looking up at the face of Evangelion Unit 01. "You asked to see me, professor," he said.

"Yes, I did, lieutenant," Fuyutski said, turning his head to look at him. "There is a day coming up in the next few months which has special significance for Shinji. He will need the day off school and will require transport."

"Sir?" Hyuga asked, puzzled. He knew his commanding officer wasn't referring to Shinji's birthday; that had been about a month before the boy had arrived.

"The anniversary of his mother's death," Kouzou told him softly.

"Oh."

"I would be grateful if you would organise things now," the professor continued, turning back to the horned visage. "No sense leaving things to the last minute." He sighed, and shook his head. '_Perhaps I should go to. It's been too long since I honoured her memory properly._'

"Yes, sir. Is that all?"

"For now."

"Oh, come on, Shinji, you can tell me," Hikari heard Kensuke whine as she entered the classroom. The bespectacled youth was stood over to the Evangelion pilot, gesturing wildly.

"But I don't know, Kensuke," Ikari replied, his tone sounding lightly desperate to the brunette.

"Know what?" she asked as she walked over to them.

Aida looked over at her. "Oh, morning, Hiki." Horaki scowled at him; he knew how much she hated being called that. "Shinji won't tell me why the 'Angels' are called that."

"Because I don't know!" the third-child protested, his exasperation clearly apparent. The girl decided to step in before violence erupted between the two.

"Maybe he really doesn't know," Hikari suggested soothingly.

"But he must do!" the bespectacled boy exclaimed. He turned to Shinji. "You do work for Nerv."

"That doesn't mean I know," Ikari replied. Kensuke's shoulders slumped in defeat. "They don't really tell me all that much," Shinji muttered, sighing heavily.

'_I guess they figure he doesn't need to know,_' Aida thought, mentally kicking himself for assuming the boy knew just because he worked for them. '_Should've known better!_' He spotted Toji entering the room and walked over to his seat; he had no intention of getting on his friend's bad side. Seeing Aida leave, Hikari looked around and caught sight of Suzuhara. Deciding that she didn't feel like an argument, she headed for her own seat behind Kensuke's. She knew Shinji would understand.

"Morning, Toji," Kensuke said cheerfully as his friend sat down in his seat to the bespectacled boy's left.

Suzuhara sighed. "You know," he said slowly, carefully choosing his words, "I'm not gonna have a go at you if you wanna talk to Ikari."

"You're not?" Aida asked cautiously. He was surprised by his friend's change in attitude and wanted to make sure he hadn't misheard him.

"No, I'm not," his friend assured him. "It's up to you who talk to, not me."

"You really don't mind?"

"Really. I don't mind."

Shinji felt a smile tugging at his lips as he listened to the conversation going on behind him. He'd been as surprised as Kensuke by Toji's statement. A figure with blue hair walking across his field of vision distracted him. Looking over, he saw Rei taking a seat at her desk. "Hi, Ayanami," he called in greeting.

The first-child looked over at him. "Pilot Ikari."

"Um…" he said, not sure how to phrase the question that was bothering him. "How come you've only just gotten here? I mean, you did leave before me."

"Lieutenant Ibuki requested my presence," Ayanami replied. "She had something she wished to speak with me of." Looking at the boy's face, she gathered from his expression that he wished to know what the lieutenant and she has talked about. "I cannot tell you what she discussed with me."

"Oh. Okay," Ikari responded, a little sad. He wanted to know what was going on with the girl, but he'd learned how much of a private person she was and, as such, had decided not to push the issue. The bell rang and the blue-haired girl turned to face forward.

Putting her magazine down, Miki yawned, covering her mouth with her left hand. Rubbing her eyes, she sighed heavily. The teacher was still talking, and the class rep. seriously doubted that he'd stop anytime before the bell rang. Did he really think any of his students gave a damn about this 'Cuban Missile Crisis' he was twittering on about? Heck, it had been old news long before Second Impact.

'_It's not something I'll never need to know about!_' she snorted mentally. Casually, she looked around the classroom to see if any of her fellow students were doing anything even remotely interesting and whether or not she could use it to her advantage. She frowned as she noticed Aida and Ikari openly talking about something; the bespectacled youth apparently hanging on the pilot's every word. A quick glance at Suzuhara showed he knew they were speaking but didn't seem to care.

"Well that's just great!" she muttered, dropping her eyes to her desk lest someone catch her looking over at that group and get the wrong idea. '_I can't believe that Suzuhara's letting Aida speak to Ikari._' Okay, so perhaps the two of them weren't friends, but still…

'_I hate wasting my time,_' she thought, grimacing. '_I put a lot of effort into keeping them at each other's throats. And all for nothing!_' Shaking her head sadly, she sighed softly, feeling a slight tickle at the back of her throat. She tried swallowing in the hopes for removing the irritation, but that only resulted in it getting worse. Drumming her fingers on her desk, she rubbed her throat with her left hand and tried to clear it, succeeding only in triggering a cough.

As a second cough erupted from her despite her best efforts, her left hand drifted up and covered her mouth while her right lay flat on the desk. Again and again she coughed. She turned in her seat to face the door in the hopes of going unnoticed as the coughing grew worse and her right hand found its way to her abdomen, the muscles beginning to ache as she struggled to bring herself under control.

Succeeding after a few minutes, she sat still in her seat, hunched over and breathing heavily. Looking up, she found Professor Koyasu stood in front of her desk, looking at her in concern.

"Are you alright, Miss Sadamoto?" he asked gently.

"I'm fine," she assured him, flushing slightly as she realised the entire class was looking at her. "The air in here's a bit dry, that's all."

"Yes, I suppose it is," Jin responded absently. "Are you sure you don't want to see the nurse?" he enquired.

Miki forced herself not to flinch at the mention of the old medical professional the school employed as nurse and nodded once. "I could do with a drink though," she informed him.

"Of course," the grey-haired teacher smiled. "You may leave," he told her, returning to his place at the blackboard.

"Thank you, sir," the class rep. said, getting to her feet, although she doubted he heard her. As she left the room, she heard him resume his lecture. Maybe it was her imagination, but she could swear she heard a collective groan from the remainder of the class. She smiled as she walked towards the girl's rest room, rubbing her sore throat.

Draining his glass, Shigeru put it down on the table in front of him and sighed contentedly. Leaning back in his seat, he cast his eyes around the canteen, smiling as he noticed just how relaxed everyone was. As his gaze drifted across the door, Maya walked in, her attention firmly fixed on the clipboard in her hands. Aoba couldn't help but chuckle as she almost walked into a male technician. She apologised before making her way over to the serving hatch and, placing the board under her arm, got something to eat.

"Maya, over here," the long-haired technician called, waving with his right hand, as the petite brunette began looking for somewhere to sit. Spotting him, she smiled and made her way over.

"Sure is busy in here," Ibuki commented as she sat down, placing the clipboard on the table beside her food.

"Glad to see you're taking a break," Shigeru said.

May smiled and shrugged. "I've just got so much to do with Dr. Akagi being away. And before you say anything, I am delegating as much as I can. It's just that-"

"She's as much of a workaholic as you are," Aoba finished for her.

"She's not a workaholic!" Ibuki snapped. "And neither am I. We're just…committed to our work."

'_Defensive much?_' he mused. "Being committed's one thing," he said aloud, "but you two are always the last to leave after your shift is finished, as well as being the first to arrive." He sighed. "You are allowed to have a life outside of work you know."

Maya shrugged again. "I just don't like leaving anything unfinished, you know. And Dr. Akagi's the same."

"Yeah, you two are real perfectionists," he joked.

"I guess we are," she replied, a sad smile on her lips.

The long-haired technician looked at his watch. "Well, I better head back or Katsuragi'll chew my ass off," he told her, getting to his feet. "Take it easy," he called, heading towards the door.

"How can I take it easy," Akagi's assistant murmured sadly, "when there's so much to do?" Sighing heavily, she began eating as she reviewed the report on Unit 01's condition.

Suzuhara's step lacked its usual spring as he walked along through the streets of Tokyo-3. He'd just been to visit his sister and had been saddened by the lack of improvement in her condition. Ahead of him, a female figure steeped out of the grocery store, a carrier bag in each hand. The boy would have paid it no heed, had not something caught his eye. Taking a second glance, he realised the girl had blue hair. That meant it could only be one person. The other Evangelion pilot. He quickly walked over to her.

"Hey, you're Ayanami, right?" he said, coming to a stop beside her.

The girl stopped and looked at him before saying "Correct, that is my name."

"Name's Toji Suzuhara," the boy replied.

"I am aware of your name," Rei told him, continuing to look at him. She was curious as to what he wanted.

"So what are you doing around here?" Suzuhara asked after a few moments silence, having been wracking his brains to think of something to say.

"I am returning to the pilot dormitory," the first-child answered.

Toji looked at the bags she was carrying. "Been shopping, huh?"

"That is correct."

"Me, I'm just heading home from the hospital," he informed her. The girl blinked and began to walk off. "Hey, don't you wanna know why I was there?" he asked her, a few steps behind.

"I already know why you were in the hospital," Ayanami responded calmly. "You were visiting your sister who was injured during the battle with the third Angel."

"Oh," Toji sighed sadly, his shoulders slumping. "Hey," he said after a brief pause, "I've been wondering, how come you're not being home-schooled any more?"

"Professor Fuyutski requested that I attend high school," the blue-haired girl answered, continuing on her way. She did not understand why the boy continued to follow her, and it was beginning to unsettle her.

"Who's Professor Fuyutski?" her companion asked.

"Professor Fuyutski is the commander of Nerv," she informed him. He was silent for about thirty seconds, for which the girl was glad.

"What do you think of Ikari?" he asked.

"Pilot Ikari is a kind and gentle person," Rei said without hesitation. "He is considerate and puts the needs of others before his own." She paused for and took a breath. "He is instructing me in how to prepare my own meals."

Toji stopped dead at hearing this, looking to the floor. Rei continued on for a few steps before stopping and looking back at him. He appeared to be lost in thought, and they did not appear to be pleasant ones.

"What do you think of Pilot Ikari?" she enquired.

"I-I don't really know," he stammered, uncertain. "At first I was sure I hated him, it was his fault that Noriko was injured," the boy related forcefully. "But, after seeing what he goes through when he's piloting… I just don't know."

"Do you still blame Pilot Ikari for the injuries your sister sustained during the battle with the third Angel?" she asked, curious about his reaction to the simple question she had asked him.

"Yes. But I…" he started, before trailing off. "I guess I respect him now. I've seen what he does, what happens to him." He sighed and looked up at the cloud-filled sky. "I'm not sure how I feel about him."

"Do you regret hitting him?"

Toji looked at the girl, stunned "You-you know about that!"

"Correct. All pilots are under constant surveillance by Section Two. You are fortunate that Pilot Ikari bares you no malice."

"What do you mean?" the boy asked, frowning.

"I am certain that he had the opportunity to report your actions, but he did not do so," she informed him. "Had he done so, you would have been arrested and charged with assault on a UN official."

"I-I didn't know," Suzuhara stammered. "Wait a minute! You guys are part of the UN!" he asked.

"Correct. You did not know this?"

"No, I didn't."

"I must be going," she told him. Their conversation had been enlightening, but she had somewhere she was meant to be. "Pilot Ikari will be wondering where I am. Good day, Suzuhara," she said and walked off, leaving the boy standing in the middle of the street, lost in thought.

Maya picked up the phone as it rang, unsure of whether she welcomed the interruption or not. "Doctor Akagi's office," she said absently.

"Hello, Maya," a soft voice replied.

"Ritsuko," Ibuki responded, a smile playing across her face, her attention completely focused on the conversation.

"Busy?" Akagi asked.

"With you gone, of course I am," the petite brunette said, sounding more testy than she'd intended.

"Sorry about that. But the professor did want me to represent us here."

"I'm not blaming you," Ibuki assured her superior, trying to sound soothing. "I just haven't stopped all day."

"And that's kind of why I'm calling."

"Oh?" the lieutenant asked, a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"The test's been delayed. So I'm stuck here a bit longer."

Maya sighed. "I'll manage, somehow."

"I know you will."

"Would you like me to tell the professor?" Ibuki asked, knowing the doctor would not enjoy such a task.

"That'd be great, thanks, Maya," Akagi replied, her smile clearly audible in her voice. There was a short and comfortable pause. "So what are you up to at the moment?"

"Just reviewing the results of Shinji's run through on the progressive knife simulation," Maya told her casually.

"How'd he do?"

"Not bad really," the lieutenant responded. "But after what happened during the last battle, I'd expected as much," she added. "You are going to be back for the Magi's diagnostic aren't you?"

"Don't worry. I will."

"Good," the brunette sighed, sounding relieved. "I'd hate to have to try and run that by myself."

"You'd do fine, Maya. You're better than you think."

"If you say so."

"I do," Ritsuko assured her. "Tell you what, why don't I buy you dinner on Saturday? As a thank you for all the hard work you're putting in."

"I won't say no if you're buying, you know that," Maya replied. "But couldn't you see if you could get me a raise?" she joked.

"Believe me, Maya, I've tried," the doctor replied, her tone serious. "But the budget is stretched tight as it is."

"Ah well, can't blame a girl for trying," the lieutenant shrugged.

"I've gotta go. I'll see you when I get back."

"Bye Ritsu," the doctor's assistant responded. The line went dead and she put the phone down, smiling to herself and happier than she had been all day.

The professor couldn't help but feel claustrophobic as he sat in the pitch black chamber surrounded by the dozen monoliths. Each one was a holographic link to a member of the Seele council and bore only a number. The members of the Instrumentality Committee he could identify by the sound of their voices. He knew the names of all the members of the council of course, but not who was represented by which number. He could find out if he wanted to, he supposed.

"Two Angels successfully defeated," the male voice from monolith 05 intoned. His voice was so devoid of accent that he could have come from anywhere on the planet.

"With more to come," the voice of 03 countered. This was one Fuyutski knew – Viktor Hasan. "We cannot afford to become complacent."

"True," a female voice with a deep-south American accent said from 06. It belonged to Louise Daniels.

"And the Instrumentality Project?" Keel's voice asked, emanating from monolith 01.

"Proceeding on schedule," the professor assured the council.

"See that is stays that way," the French voice of Jacque Bouquet instructed from 04. "The Angels are no excuse for falling behind."

"Of course," Kouzou responded. As if he had any intention of allowing the project to fall behind! They all knew what the project meant to him personally.

"I heard you had a disciplinary problem during the battle," an Australian voice commented, coming from the monolith numbered 08.

"Yes. The pilot disregarded an order to withdraw," Fuyutski related. "He has been reprimanded."

"Good we can't allow the pilots to act as they please," the accentless voice of 05 said.

"At least the Angel was defeated," Louise pointed out.

"Has Unit 01 been repaired yet?" a feminine voice asked from 12.

"Not yet," Kouzou answered. "Dr. Akagi decided to replace rather than to attempt to repair the Eva's left arm."

"That doesn't sound that difficult," the voice of Megumi Takamura responded from number 11.

"Normally it isn't," the professor agreed. "However there seems to be some sort of fault. At this time we are unsure whether the problem lies within the hard-, soft- or wetware."

"How long 'til Unit 01 is fully functional?" the voice of 07 asked. Although not heavy, the male voice did carry a hint of an Irish accent.

"Within one week," the commander of Nerv informed the council. "And Unit 00 is now ready for combat," he added.

"Good," a woman's voice intoned from 02. To the professor her voice always sounded Hispanic, possibly from South America.

"Speaking of the Eva's, we've received a complaint from Unit 02's chief engineer," the German accented voice of monolith 09 stated.

"Yes," Jacque said, sounding almost pleased. "He was quite upset with the request he received last week."

"However," Lorentz added, "having reviewed recent events we have agreed with it and have informed him that the request stands."

"Thank you," the professor said. He was about to say something more when the sound of a ringing phone interrupted him. He answered it, upset at the disruption. "I'm in conference," he said sharply. There was a pause as he listened to the person on the other end of the line. "I understand."

He put the handset down and stared at for a moment before looking up at Keele's monolith which sat directly before him. "Another Angel has been detected. If you'll excuse me?"

"Very well," Lorentz told him. Without another word, the image of Kouzou Fuyutski vanished from the chamber.

"Report!" Captain Katsuragi commanded as she entered the command centre. The professor had just arrived and had been about to ask for the situation report when the lavender-haired woman had marched in.

"Angel detected in sector nine," Makoto informed her.

"Why didn't the Mount Fuji observation centre warn us?" she asked, stopping behind the three technicians.

"They never saw it," Hyuga replied. "Damned thing just appeared out of nowhere."

"Do we have a visual?" the captain asked, ignoring the bespectacled lieutenant's profanity.

"Affirmative," the pilot rep answered, checking the data streaming into his console from the external sensors.

"On screen," Misato ordered, looking up at the main display unit. It flashed white for an instant, before the image of the city above appeared. The streets were deserted and the buildings were covered in what appeared to be giant plant growths, the majority of which appeared to be vines.

"So, that's the fifth Angel. Interesting," Kouzou murmured to himself. "What's the status of the evacuation?" he asked aloud.

Maya quickly checked with the Magi. "All civilians are within the emergency bunkers."

"Eva status?" Katsuragi requested.

"Evangelion Unit 00 is ready and awaiting the pilot," Shigeru reported.

"Pilot status?" the captain asked.

"Rei is in the entry-plug and the plug is being moved into position now," Lieutenant Ibuki said, checking the data on her console.

"As soon as the pilot is in place, move the Eva to the fourth catapult and route it through the gate seven," the director of operations ordered. Aoba entered the relevant commands into his console and watched the orange robot's progress.

"Any change in the Angel's status?" the professor enquired.

"No, sir," Hyuga answered. "It's just sitting there. I don't think it's capable of moving," he added.

"Is it's AT Field active?" the commander asked, a frown creasing his brow.

"Negative," the bespectacled technician replied.

"Unit 00 is ready for launch," the long-haired lieutenant announced.

"Launch the Eva," Katsuragi ordered. "Have the pilot take up position at least thirty metres from the Angel and await further instructions." Shigeru entered the command that would fire the catapult while Maya relayed the captain's commands to Rei. "Have you identified the core yet?" she asked, taking up a position directly behind Makoto.

"Yes, captain," he told her.

"Where?"

He called up a tactical view of sector nine on his screen and pointed to the centre of the area that had become covered in greenery. "It's part of the central mass, approximately eighty-one point seven two metres from the outer edge," he informed her.

"Lieutenant Ibuki, I want you to have Shinji stand by in Unit 01's entry-plug," Kouzou instructed.

"Sir?" the petite brunette queried, looking up at him, her expression making her confusion clear.

"No sense taking any chances," he replied casually. Maya looked over at Makoto, who shrugged. Realising she was unlikely to get any kind of explanation, she did as he instructed.

"Open a comm. channel to Unit 00," Misato ordered. A small window appeared on the main screen showing Ayanami's face. "Pilot, raise your AT Field and advance slowly toward the central mass. Don't make any sudden movements. Do you understand?"

"Yes, captain," the blue-haired girl replied softly. She tightened her grip on the control yokes and began moving the orange robot forward as slowly as she could while setting the motion detectors to their highest sensitivity. As she weaved her way through the foliage, she looked about, keeping a close eye on the vine like structures that laced the buildings surrounding her. They appeared to be immobile, just as all plants were, but girl was unwilling to take risks. Something bothered her about the situation, but she couldn't be sure what.

Gingerly she moved Unit 00 round a corner and stopped dead as the central mass came into view. Looking it over, she spotted the core. It was surrounded by orange and yellow petals, as if it were the central part of a flower.

"Core sighted," she said, staring intently at it. "I am about to begin attack sequence."

"Use caution," Captain Katsuragi advised. "We still don't know what its defensive capabilities are."

"Understood," the first-child replied. Slowly she inched the Eva clear of the building and advanced on the central mass. When she was a short distance from it she stopped and evaluated her options.

Just as she was about to attack, the motion detectors screamed at her and she felt something wrap around her waist and drag her backwards.

"Unit 00 is under attack!" Aoba yelled above the sound of the sirens that had begun screaming in the command centre.

"How?" Katsuragi enquired.

"It's the vines!" Makoto reported. "The Angel's using the vines!"

The Eva's hands grabbed the vines encircling its waist and tried to release itself. As it did, vines wrapped themselves around its arms and pulled them away. As the pilot struggled to free the robot more vines attached themselves to Unit 00's legs and Rei found herself in midair.

Desperation began to set in as she felt something itself wrap around her neck. Groaning sounds filled the entry-plug as Rei felt her limbs being pulled; it felt as if they were being torn from her body.

"Eva status," Misato demanded.

"The superstructure is holding, but I don't know for how long," Shigeru answered. His fingers flew across the keyboard in front of him, trying to figure out some way, any way, to help Rei.

"Can the Eva free itself?" Katsuragi inquired.

"Negative," Hyuga informed her. "Whatever those things are, they're not really plants. Their tensile strength is too high, there's no way Rei can break their hold."

The lavender-haired woman folded her arms and gazed at the floor, silently weighing up her options. She looked back up at the main screen, watching as Unit 00 flailed about in its attempts to free itself. "Launch Unit 01," the captain ordered.

"But, captain, Unit 01's still damaged. It's not ready for combat," Maya protested.

"There is no other option. Do it!" Katsuragi instructed.

"Yes, ma'am," the three technicians replied flatly. They didn't like the idea, but she was right. Using Unit 01 was their only choice.

"What do you want me to do?" Shinji asked as the purple Eva was moved onto the launch catapult.

"Once you're topside, make your way to Unit 00's position and use your progressive knife to free it," the captain explained over the comm. system. "Don't draw the knife until you're ready to use it."

"Understood," Shinji replied and the link was severed. A small video window appeared to his left "Huh?"

"Don't worry about getting hurt," Maya whispered to him. "If anything happens, I'll cut your synch-ratio from here."

"Thanks," the boy whispered back.

"Unit 01 is in position," he heard Shigeru announce.

"Good luck," Ibuki murmured to him and closed the link.

A moment later, the boy felt himself being crushed into the control seat by the G-forces of the launch. A few moments later he juddered to a stop. He looked around to get his bearings and began to move forwards, a small map to his right showing him his position relative to Unit 00's. '_Hold on Ayanami,_' he thought to himself. '_Help's on its way._'

Re's eyes were closed as she focused her attention on trying to free herself. Breathing was not easy, due to the vine constricting the Eva's throat. A beeping sound caught her attention and she opened her eyes. Unit 01 stood in front of her. A video window appeared on her screen to her left.

"Are you okay?" Shinji asked, his tone and features making his concern very apparent. Lacking the breath to speak clearly, the first-child nodded. "Hang on, I'll get you free."

She watched as Unit 01 lifted its hand to its right shoulder wing and drew its progressive knife. The blade began to glow and the purple mechaniod stepped forward. It sung the vibrating weapon and sliced the vines holding Unit 00's left leg. Then it severed the one wrapped around the orange robot's waist.

As Shinji drew its arm back for another swing, vines wrapped themselves around the purple robot's wrist. In the video window, Rei saw Shinji look back at the restrained wrist, grunting in annoyance. Yelling, the third-child was able to swing the arm forwards and not only slice the vine around Unit 00's neck but also all but one of them that held the prototype's right arm, snapping the vine that attempted to restrain him. The one vine that was left was the one that was wrapped around the Rei's Eva's wrist.

Before the boy could do any more, vines shot forward and began to encircle Unit 01's limbs. Realising he could do more, he yelled "REI! CATCH!" and threw the weapon. The orange robot was able to twist its right hand and caught the knife. With a flick of its wrist, it severed the vine restraining it, completely freeing the right arm. Without pausing, Rei quickly sliced through the rest of the vines that held her. The orange Eva dropped to the ground and made its way over to Shinji.

"Forget me!" he told her over the comm. link. "Get the Angel!" Rei hesitated for a moment, finding herself uncertain. However, the boy's words were logical. Once she had defeated the Angel, she could release him with no danger of being captured once more.

"Behind you!" Ikari shouted. Ayanami leapt aside, narrowly avoiding a vine. She berated herself for loosing her focus on the battle field and moved quickly towards the central mass of the Angel, drawing her own progressive knife in the process. As she neared the core, she had to make use of both knives, leaping and dancing as she slashed at the vines that tried to ensnare her.

Feeling a tug from behind, Rei realised that her umbilical cable had been encircled. She quickly jettisoned it and continued. Within moments she was stood before the central mass. Without hesitating, she plunged both blades into the core. Sparks flew and there was the sound of metal being grated. Then the red glow of the core faded and the central mass of the Angel sagged. She heard the third-child grunt over the video link and assumed that it had been caused by his Evangelion falling to the floor. She removed both knives from the now broken red orb and, replacing hers within its housing, made her way over to Unit 01.

Having only one arm made it difficult for Shinji to free his Eva from the vines that entangled it, but eventually he managed. Making the robot stand upright, he was the orange form of Unit 00 heading towards him, Unit 01's progressive knife in its right hand.

"Are you okay, Rei?" the boy asked, remembering that the link between the two robots was still active.

"I am unharmed," she replied, a very small amount of relief evident in her tone - to Shinji, at least. "Thank you for your assistance," she said as her Eva held out his knife.

"No problem," he smiled and took the weapon, replacing it in his right shoulder wing.

To be continued…

**Author Notes **–  
Another chapter finished and the story goes on. First off I'd like to thank everyone who's reviewed thus far. Sorry about not doing it earlier.

In response to Cyber-Undead's query about Miki, all I'll say is wait and see. Her role will become apparent over time.

Enough of my ramblings. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please let me know what you think and tell me about any mistakes I've made and missed so I can fix them.


	6. New Arrivals

**Disclaimer **–

The original story Neon Genesis Evangelion, its characters and all other trademarks are used without permission. The originals are mine, and will be named in the author notes of the first chapter they appear in. I will be making no profit from this story.

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_**Evangelion Chronicles**_  
by Room3

**Chapter 06 **– New Arrivals

"So, everything went as expected?" Fuyutski asked as he leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped in his lap.

"More or less," Akagi replied casually, smoothing a crease out of her lab-coat with her left hand. "But the Alpha Unit has been abandoned."

"Excellent," the grey-haired professor responded.

"I hear the fifth Angel has been dealt with," Ritsuko said, leaning forward in her chair and arching her right eyebrow.

"Yes," Kouzou told her. "Rei did quite well, all things considered."

"What's Unit 00's condition?" the doctor asked, wondering just how much time would be needed to make any repairs as she stared at the floor beneath her feet.

"Nothing serious really," her superior assured her. "One or two torn ligaments, but they've already been replaced." He closed his eyes and smiled, knowing full well how she was going to react to what he was about to say. "Unit 01 didn't really suffer any damage either."

"Unit 01 was used?" Ritsuko asked, looking up at him.

The commander of Nerv nodded before opening his eyes and saying "No other choice. Check the reports and visual recordings." He paused and leant forward, resting his forearms on his desk. "Oh, and we've received the results of Unit 02's diagnostic. I'd like you to review them."

"I take it it's already on its way?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Fuyutski said, his displeasure with that turn of events clearly evident in his tone. "The chief engineer's report didn't indicate any problems, but…"

"I'll check the technical details," the blonde assured him as he trailed off. "When's it due to arrive?"

"It should be arriving in New Yokosuka in two days."

"It's coming by sea?" she asked. He nodded and she sighed. "What about Unit 01?"

"Lieutenant Ibuki has the details. Suffice to say we're looking at an extra day at least, if not two or three, before it's completely repaired."

"And Rei and Shinji?"

"They got banged around a bit," the professor related. "A couple of bruises. Shinji's right shoulder was dislocated. All in all, nothing serious."

"Good to hear," Ritsuko commented. She stood up. "I'd better get to work."

"I'm sure your assistant will be glad you're back," her superior smiled.

"Oh?" Akagi asked, her right eyebrow once again arching itself.

"Poor girl's been looking rather stressed the last couple of days," Kouzou told her. "Might be a good idea to give her some time off."

"If I thought she'd take it, I would," the doctor said, sounding almost sad, before heading to the door. She stopped a few paces away and turned to look at him. "You're going to see _her_ tomorrow, aren't you?"

"Yes," the grey-haired professor replied, sounding as if his mind was far away. "I will." The blonde nodded and left the office. The remaining occupant got to his feet and walked over to his window to stare out at the lake beside headquarters.

- - -

Ritsuko Akagi smiled to herself as she read the report in front of her, the tapping sound of her assistant working behind her soothing. So far it had been a peaceful morning, but she knew that peace couldn't last; there was just so much that needed doing. The door to her office hissed open and she heard someone walk over to her desk.

"You asked to see me, commander?" Captain Katsuragi's voice said formerly.

Ritsuko put the report to one side and looked up at the lavender-haired woman, blinking as she did so. '_Don't think I'll ever get used her saluting me,_' she thought. "Yes, I did, captain," she said aloud. "At ease." The captain dropped her hand, placed her feet shoulder distance apart and clasped her hands behind her back.

"As I'm sure you're aware, Unit 02 will be arriving in New Yokosuka tomorrow," the doctor told her. "Professor Fuyutski would like you to meet it and escort it and its pilot, the second-child, here."

"Yes, sir," Misato responded. "Is there anything else?" Upon hearing this, Maya smirked to herself, careful to keep her face turned away from the captain.

"Yes, actually," Akagi replied. "I'd like you to take Shinji along with you."

"Is that wise, sir?" Katsuragi questioned. She didn't like the idea of leaving the defence of the city in the hands of a relatively inexperienced pilot if they had no backup.

"Unit 01 is still another two days away from being operational, so there's no harm in allowing the boy to accompany you," the blonde woman explained. "Besides," she quickly added, "I believe the break will do him good."

"If you say so, sir," the director of operations responded coldly.

"Please inform Lieutenant Hyuga of the time you intend to leave and he'll make sure Shinji's ready."

Katsuragi saluted the doctor again. "Very well, sir."

"That's all, captain," Ritsuko said. The captain nodded and left the room. As soon as the door slid hut behind her, Ibuki spluttered then doubled over with laughter, almost cracking her head on her keyboard in the process. Akagi looked over at her assistant and smiled warmly.

"How can you say that to her and keep a straight face?" the lieutenant asked after regaining a measure of her composure.

"Practise," the doctor replied, swinging her chair round so she was facing the brunette.

"Can you imagine the report she's gonna file after having to look after _two_ children?!" Maya exclaimed.

"Oh, it'll be worse than you think," Ritsuko assured the shorter woman. "You haven't seen the second-child's profile, have you?"

"Uh-uh," Ibuki replied, shaking her head.

"Let's just say they're rather…competitive."

"Oh God!" Maya chuckled, closing her eyes. "I don't know who I feel sorry for most – her or them."

"Oh, I'd say them," her superior told her. "But that's probably because she's been such a pain recently."

Just then, the petite brunette yawned, covering her mouth with her hand in embarrassment. "Oh, sorry."

"You okay?" Ritsuko asked, concerned.

"I'm fine. Just didn't get much sleep last night."

"I thought I told you to take it easy?" the doctor said, a frowning creasing her brow.

Maya stretched her arms out above her before slumping down in her seat. "I was. It's just…" She sighed. "I was reading that paper you lent me and kinda lost track of time."

"If you say so," Akagi responded, not sure whether she believed her or not. The lieutenant returned her attention to her console and resumed her work. A few moments later a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her shoulders

"You know," Ritsuko said, leaning down to whisper in Ibuki's ear, "if you're tired, you could always take a rain-check on tonight."

The brunette reached up and laid her hands on the blonde's arms. "There's no way I'm missing gonna miss it," she assured her. The doctor leant her head against Maya's left shoulder who, in turn, leant her own head against it, closing her eyes and sighing happily. They remained like that for a few moments, each enjoying the silence that existed between them.

"It's the Magi's diagnostic tomorrow, isn't it?" Ibuki asked eventually, opening her eyes.

"Yeah," Ritsuko sighed softly.

"I better finish this then," the brunette said.

The doctor released her and straightened up. A smile on her lips, she asked "How long you gonna be?"

"Thirty minutes," Ibuki answered, her hands dancing across her keyboard. "Forty-five tops. Why?"

"How about we go somewhere and get something to eat after? My treat."

"That's okay," the petite lieutenant replied. "I'm not really hungry."

The blonde doctor put her hand gently on the smaller woman's shoulder and leant down so her mouth was on a level with her ear. "Neither am I," she whispered suggestively, her breath tickling Maya's ear.

Ibuki felt the heat rise in her cheeks as they redden at the thought of what that implied. Ritsuko chuckled and stood up straight. The lieutenant spun her chair round and looked up at the doctor.

"I love you, Ritsu," she said softly.

"And I you," Akagi relied, leaning forward. Their lips touched and Maya's left hand found its way to gently cup her lover's cheek. After a few moments, the blonde pulled back, breaking the kiss.

"Now get back to work, lieutenant," she jokily ordered.

"Yes, doctor," her assistant replied, her tone an exact match of Ritsuko's.

- - -

As the noise of the motor came to a stop, Captain Katsuragi donned her safety glasses and ear protectors. Comfortable with how they sat, she picked up her pistol and, releasing the safety, cocked it.

'_I can't believe Commander Akagi wants me to take that kid with me,_' she thought as she took aim, steadying the weapon with her left hand. '_Why the heck do I have to be the one to make contact with the damned pilots for anyway? Shouldn't that be Hyuga's job?_' Exhaling, she squeezed off two shots in quick succession, fighting the recoil. Lowering the gun, she looked at the target as it ceased fluttering. Good. The holes were close enough together and her sight was holding its setting. She raised the firearm again.

'_Although I guess it does make some sense,_' she realised, taking careful aim. '_It's always a good idea for me to know the combatants under my command._' She sighed. '_Why the hell we have to use kids I'll never know._' She emptied the clip at the target and set the pistol on the ledge in front of her, removing the empty clip first.

Activating the mechanism to bring the target sheet to her, she removed her safety glasses. '_I better have access to this second-child's psychological profile before I leave tomorrow,_' she contemplated as the paper target fluttered to a stop in front of her. '_At least with three Eva's we shouldn't have too much trouble defeating the Angels._' Satisfied with her performance, she balled the target up and threw it in the bin before removing her ear protectors. Picking up the unused clip before her, she inserted it into her weapon, cocked it and flicked the safety on before slipping it into her shoulder holster.

'_The more that come, the more we'll kill. I promised I would avenge you, father. And each victory brings that goal closer._' She gathered up her safety equipment and headed for the exit. As she neared the door, her phone rang.

"Katsuragi," she said, answering it. She listened to the person on the other end in silence. "Understood. I'll notify you of any changes," she replied before ending the call and slipping the cell phone back into her jacket pocket.

- - -

"…sure the nerve linkages are stable before connecting them to the power systems," Makoto heard Doctor Akagi order as the pilot rep. entered Unit 01's cage. The blonde was stood on the umbilical bridge, giving orders to the technicians working to connect the new arm to the purple mechanoid.

"Excuse me, doctor?" he asked hesitantly, not wanting to distract her from anything vital.

"Double check the alignments before proceeding," she called to the technicians working on the shoulder before turning to look at him. "Yes, lieutenant?"

"I was just wondering where Professor Fuyutski was," he told her. "No-one's seen him today."

"The professor won't be in today. He has some personal business to attend to," Ritsuko replied, checking something on the clipboard in her hands.

"Oh."

"Is there something I can help you with?" Akagi asked.

"Oh, no. It's nothing really. The professor just asked me to make certain arrangements for Shinji. I just thought I'd let him know I had. It's nothing that can't wait."

"For Shinji?" the doctor asked, her brow creasing in her confusion. Then it dawned on her. "Oh, I see. I'll pass the message along," she told the bespectacled lieutenant.

"Thanks, doctor," Hyuga replied.

Ritsuko smiled. "Have you finished the preparations for the second-child's arrival yet?"

"Pretty much," Makoto informed her. "The spare suites in the dorm have been given a thorough clean so the new pilot can have they're choice. Locker keys for the two changing rooms are ready and waiting. Their charge card will be issued as soon as they've been officially logged in to the Magi as stationed here." He shrugged. "There's not really anything else I can do until they arrive."

"How did Shinji and Rei react to the news?"

"Oh, you know Rei," the pilot rep. retorted. "She just nodded and went back to her homework."

"What about Shinji?" the blonde doctor inquired.

"He was a little surprised, but didn't seem bothered by it," Hyuga answered. "I don't think there'll be any problem."

"Let's hope not," Akagi responded.

"Doctor!" a voice from above called, drawing Ritsuko's attention back to the task at hand.

"Excuse me, lieutenant," she said, looking up at the Eva's shoulder. "Yes? What is it?" Hyuga walked away as the technician replied, slightly worried. He wasn't concerned by how the pilots would react to one another, but by the prospect of having yet another young charge. He just hoped they were like Shinji and Rei.

- - -

The professor closed the door behind himself and walked over to the bed. The quiet, steady beeping and rasping of the life support machines reassured him as he lowered himself into the chair beside the bed.

"Good afternoon, Kana," Fuyutski said softly, leaning forward in the seat and gently taking hold of the bed's occupant's right hand, stroking it softly. She didn't respond, but then again, she never did. Nor did he expect her to.

He quickly glanced around the room, making sure everything was as is should be. "Those look fresh," he commented, noticing the vase of flowers by the window. "I think someone has an admirer," he added, smiling. Sighing, he reached up and ran his fingers through her grey hair; someone had cut it since his last visit a month ago.

"The Angels have returned, Kana," the professor told her, "just as we always knew they would, so I may not always be able to come see you. Three have already been destroyed, though." He got to his feet and walked over to the large bay window. "Rei beat the last one, with a little help. The others were beaten by Unit 01, piloted by Yui Ikari's son, Shinji. You remember me telling you about her I'm sure."

Kouzou placed one hand on the cool glass and closed his eyes, lowering his head as he did so. "Ironic, isn't it?" he asked, not expecting an answer. "The son now pilots that which led to his mother being lost." Sighing again, he returned to the chair, taking her hand once more.

"I know you don't like the idea of using children to pilot the Eva's, Kana," he said, looking up at the woman's face, the mouth and nose of which were covered by an oxygen mask. "To tell the truth, I'm not too keen on the idea myself. But there is no other way." He smiled softly. "Don't worry. Once the Angels are gone, none of this will matter. And we'll be together again." Fuyutski looked over at the door as he heard it being opened.

"Oh, Professor Fuyutski. I didn't know you were here," the nurse said in apology.

"Don't worry about it," he told her.

"I'm afraid there's no change in her condition," the nurse informed him, looking at the unconscious figure on the bed. She paused. "I'll come back later."

"What were you going to do?" Kouzou asked her.

"It's time for her sponge bath, but I can come back later," she answered.

"That's okay," the commander of Nerv said, getting to his feet. "I could do with something to eat." He bent over the figure in the bed. "I'll be back in about half an hour," he told her, before gently kissing her forehead. The nurse stepped aside as he let, closing the wooden door labelled 'Kana Fuyutski' behind him.

- - -

'_I wonder what's keeping Shinji?_' Hikari thought as she leant on the back of his chair. The Eva pilot was usually here before Toji, who was currently sat at his desk, talking animatedly with Kensuke.

"What do you think, Hikari?" Suzuhara asked, bringing her out of her contemplation.

Horaki blinked and jerked her head towards the boy, looking confused. "Huh," she said. "What? Sorry, I wasn't listening."

"Lost in your own world again, weren't you, Hiki?" her bespectacled friend asked, smirking at her. She scowled him.

Suzuhara chuckled at the look on her face. He stopped, looking beyond the pig-tailed girl. "Hey, Ayanami," Toji called, the blue-haired girl entering his field of vision was what had distracted him.

The first-child stopped beside her desk and looked behind it. "Yes, Suzuhara?"

"Why isn't Ikari here yet?" the boy asked, trying to sound casual.

"Pilot Ikari will not be attending school today," Rei informed him softly.

"Where is he then?" Hikari inquired, looking over at Shinji's fellow pilot.

"He and Captain Katsuragi are currently en route to New Yokosuka," Ayanami responded, looking at the other girl blankly.

"Why's he going there?" Horaki asked, puzzled.

"Doctor Akagi ordered him to accompany Captain Katsuragi," the red-eyed pilot replied.

Toji shook is head and sighed, realising that if they were gonna get an answer that made sense, they'd have to word their questions a bit more carefully. "Okay, so why's she going there?" he asked.

"Unit 02 and the second-child will be arriving in port today," the first-child answered.

"So that's what all the naval activity's been about!" Kensuke exclaimed excitedly. He'd been listening to the conversation, but had stayed quiet simply because it didn't interest him until now.

"What?" Toji enquired, looking at the bespectacled youth.

"A good part of the UN's combined Navy's been carrying out some kind of secret mission over the last four days," Aida told him as if he were discussing the most amazing thing in the world. Which he was, as far was he was concerned. "I haven't been able to find out anything about it." He looked at Rei. "It's coming from Germany, right?"

"That is correct," Ayanami replied.

"I wonder if this 'second-child' will be coming to school here," Hikari mused quietly.

"I do not possess that information," Rei told the girl, startling her.

'_Did I really say that out loud?_' Horaki thought, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Probably," Kensuke said, his attention still fixed on the blue-haired girl. "After all, you and Ikari do"

"Do you know what they're like, Ayanami?" the pig-tailed girl asked the pilot.

"I have never met them, nor have I read their psychological profile," Rei said in answer.

Toji looked at her blankly. "So that's a no then?"

"Correct."

Before anymore question could be asked, the bell rang; something for which the first-child was grateful. During the discussion she had just participated in she had noticed how closely the rest of the class had been listening to what was being said, with her the central focus. A situation she found to be most unpleasant.

'_Another new kid,_' Miki mused as she waited for Professor Koyasu to arrive. '_This could definitely have possibilities._' She mentally rubbed her hands together and smiled.

- - -

His eyes glued to the window beside him, Shinji shifted his position as gently as he could and sighed softly, his warm breath misting the cold glass for a few moments. He looked at his watch. Almost two hours had passed since the helicopter had left Tokyo-3, which meant he and Captain Katsuragi would be arriving at the heliport in New Yokosuka soon.

'_Hope there's no hold up in landing,_' he thought, stretching his legs out as best he could in the cramped cabin.

"We should be arriving in the next few minutes, captain," the pilot reported. It was the first time he'd spoken since about five minutes after take-off. The poor guy had tried to strike up a conversation with head of operations, but she'd ignored him. He'd been willing to talk to the boy, but the look she'd given him had made him keep silent.

"Roger," Katsuragi responded, her tone vacant of al emotion. '_At least that kid's kept quiet._'

'_I wonder what the second-child's like,_' Ikari mused for what had to be the tenth time on the journey. '_No-one's told me anything about them. I don't even know if they're a boy or a girl,_' he realised. "They could've at least told me their name!" Shinji murmured as the fields beneath the helicopter gave way to city streets.

"Contact the naval base and apprise them of our ETA," Katsuragi instructed. "And make sure the fleet's on time."

"Yes, captain," the pilot replied, trying to keep his tone pleasant. '_Damn,_' he thought as he set the radio to the correct frequency, '_she's one cold bitch._' The radio set, he flicked a switch and activated it. "New Yokosuka control, this is Nerv helo eight-six. Come in. Over."

"Nerv helo eight-six, this is New Yokosuka control. Reading you loud and clear. Over," came the bored reply over the headset.

"New Yokosuka control, our ETA is three minutes, current airspeed one hundred knots at an altitude of one hundred feet. Over."

"Roger that eight-six. We have you on radar," the radio operator at New Yokosuka replied. "The pad's clear and refuellers are standing by. Over."

"My thanks, New Yokosuka. What's the status of the fleet? Over."

"Nerv helo, the fleet's ETA is twenty minutes. Over."

"Roger that New Yokosuka. Nerv helo eight-six, out."

- - -

"Excuse me, are you Doctor Akagi?" an oddly accented male voice asked as Ritsuko walked past the nurses' station. She stopped and had to hold back a sigh. All she'd wanted was to update Rei's medical files and get back to headquarters.

"Yes," she responded, turning round to look whoever it was that had interrupted her. Whoever he was, he wasn't originally from Japan, his complexion was too pale. Thinking about his accent, the blonde decided he was probably from somewhere in western Europe.

"Thank God," he muttered, holding out his hand. "Doctor Aaron Brahms," he said to her.

"Ah yes, the paediatrician," Akagi responded, recognising the name and taking the outstretched hand.

"Well, I do have experience in paediatrics, but that's not really my speciality," Brahms replied. "I'm more of a generalist."

"Which is exactly why you're here," she told him, releasing is hand. "If you'll come with me, I'll explain your duties."

"Of course," he smiled back and followed her to the office that had been set aside for her use. Taking the chair she waved him into, he waited until she'd seated herself before speaking. "I understand I'll only have three patients."

"For the time being," Ritsuko replied, leaning forward and resting her arms on her desk, "but that number will increase." She paused and looked him in the eye. "I'm sure you're wondering why you've been assigned here." He nodded. "You're experience in paediatrics and well as your status as a general practioner is what recommended you for this post."

"I don't understand," Aaron said, frowning in confusion. "I thought I'd be looking after the Eva pilots."

"You will be. However, the pilots themselves are teenagers."

"Why teenagers?"

"I'm afraid your security clearance isn't high enough for you to know that," Akagi answered. "You are to monitor their general health and fitness. If you come across anything unusual or beyond your experience you are to contact either myself or Lieutenant Ibuki."

"Understood."

"Excellent." Ritsuko slid open a drawer and pulled out the two files which had had prepared for him a few days before. "These are the medical files for the two pilots currently assigned to headquarters. The third will be arriving later today. I want you to give all three an examination once you're familiar with their details."

"As you wish. Is there anything else?" Aaron asked, standing up and putting the files under his arms. The blonde shook her head and he left the room. '_What the hell have I gotten myself into?_' he wondered as he walked towards the infirmary cafeteria.

- - -

Shinji cast his eyes around as he walked up the steps and boarded the aircraft carrier that had been at the head of the fleet. He thought he'd heard it called 'Beowulf', but wasn't sure as he hadn't really been listening at the time. Privately, he wished that Katsuragi hadn't dismissed the guide they'd been given. He felt extremely nervous and the gentle rocking of the vessel beneath his feet didn't exactly help reassure him about anything.

'_This Admiral Meer runs a tight ship,_' the director of Operations thought as she watched the crew attending their duties with enthusiasm and focus. She continued walking and began to cross the flight-deck, heading for the bridge. She was barely aware of the boy accompanying her as he followed behind, turning this way and that, watching everyone. She neared her intended destination a crewman stopped work and saluted her. Halting, she returned the gesture and watched as he walked away. For some reason she couldn't shake the feeling that she knew him.

"Captain Katsuragi?" a voice behind her asked. She turned around to see a male figure dressed in a Nerv uniform in his mid-forties. A pair of tinted spectacles was perched on his nose making his eye colour impossible to identify and his black hair was cut short, as was the thin beard he bore.

"Yes?" she asked formally.

"Captain Gendo Rokobungi, Nerv security. I was assigned to escort the second-child," he replied. He looked at the third-child. "And this must be Shinji Ikari. It's a pleasure to meet you. I knew your mother very well. I can't tell you how saddened I was to hear about her death."

"Thank you, sir," the boy replied, a little uncertain exactly how he should react.

"And where is the second-child?" Katsuragi enquired, wanting to get her assigned task completed as quickly as possible.

"Right here," a voice behind Gendo said. He stepped to one side and looked back at the figure walking across the deck of the ship towards them. Shinji followed his gaze and got his first look at his fellow pilot. She, for the figure was that of a girl, wore a loose-fitting black sweatshirt and a pair of tight faded blue jeans. Her hair was a fiery red and was shorter than his own, but longer though than Misato's.

"Captain Katsuragi, Shinji Ikari, allow me to introduce Asuka Langley Soryu, the German born second-child and pilot of Evangelion Unit 02," Rokobungi said, stepping behind the girl and placing one hand on her shoulder. She quickly shrugged it off and closed on Shinji, stopping mere inches from him.

"So this is the great third-child, huh?" she asked, her question obviously directed at the male officer. "I could take him." She stared him in the eye, her look so intense the boy backed away from her a step. She turned to look at Gendo. "You sure he defeated two Angels single-handedly?"

"Are you all packed, Asuka?" he asked, choosing to ignore the challenge in her tone. She nodded. "I believe they are just about to off-load Unit 02. Why don't you go watch while I take Captain Katsuragi here to meet the admiral?"

Soryu smiled brightly. "Great idea," she beamed. The redhead grabbed Shinji's hand and dragged him along behind her. "C'mon kid, you're coming with me." The two officers watched the retreating forms for a moment.

"This way, captain," Rokobungi said, gesturing for her to accompany him. She nodded and they began to walk across the flight-deck.

"Any problems to report?" Misato asked stiffly as they descended the stairs leading to the cabins.

"No, although I should warn you that Admiral Meer isn't happy about the fleet being used to transport an 'overgrown child's toy', as he calls it," he answered.

The director of operations snorted, clearly disgusted by that attitude. "I imagine you'll be returning to Germany in the next few days," she said as they neared the bottom of the steps. A closed door lay before them.

"Actually, no," Gendo responded, opening the door. "I've been re-assigned to headquarters, to head up the security division." He gestured for her to precede him, then followed, closing the door behind him. A short walk down the corridor and he stopped outside a door. Rokobungi knocked on it and waited until he heard a voice within, although Katsuragi couldn't understand what had been said, before opening it. Whatever language it was, it wasn't Japanese.

- - -

"So that's Unit 02," Ikari muttered as he watched the red robot being transferred from the carrier it was on.

"Yep, that's it. The world's first true Evangelion," Asuka replied smirking.

"Huh? What do you mean?" the boy asked, looking at her, a frown creasing his brow.

"Unit 00 is the prototype and Unit 01 is the test model," she explained. "Unit 02 is the first Eva designed for actual combat."

"Really?" the third-child asked. The girl nodded and he looked at the new Eva again, scrutinising it carefully to see if he could make out any differences between it and Units 00 and 01. The only difference he could see from this distance was the colour. "That's an interesting colour. Did you pick it?"

"Scheiße!" she cursed, looking at the sky. "Why the Hölle does everyone always think I picked the verdammte colour?!" She fixed him with a glare. "No, _I_ didn't," she told him forcefully. "And before you say anything, my favourite colour is _not_ red, okay?!" The boy shrank back from her. "Dummkopf," she muttered.

- - -

"How the hell am I supposed to do anything with these?!" Aaron shouted, barging to Akagi's office and slinging the medical files she'd provided at her. The blonde watched calmly as the papers within came loose and scattered themselves across her desk. As the office door slid shut, she gathered up the sheets and made a neat pile before looking up at the fuming Dr. Brahms.

"Is there a problem?" she asked her tone level and calm.

"'Is there a problem?' she asks," Aaron said, mimicking her. "Yes, there's a bloody problem! Those bloody files are useless!" he yelled, pointing to the pile on her desk. "That's the problem."

"Please, sit down, doctor," Ritsuko said, gesturing to the empty chair beside him. He looked at it for a moment, before sitting down and crossing his arms defiantly. "What exactly is the problem with the files?" she asked, adjusting the glasses that sat on her face.

"You know damned well what the problem is," he told, beginning to rein in his temper.

Akagi sighed, rubbing her forehead with her fingers. "These files were prepared for you. They have all the information you need to look after the pilots."

"Bullshit!" Aaron snarled, grabbing one of the files and leafing through it, as if looking for something.

"Doctor- " Ritsuko began, but he cut her off.

"Here, for instance," he said, pulling out a page and putting it in front of her. "This paragraph mentions anomalies in the first-child's blood-work."

The blonde scanned the section he pointed to. "I don't see a problem," she told him, looking up at him. "It tells you exactly what the anomalies are."

"But it doesn't give me any indication of why they're there!" he complained.

"Because your security clearance is not higher enough."

"Then raise it!" he snapped.

"Doctor Brahms, I would recommend against taking that tone with me," Akagi responded calmly. "I am well aware of your previous difficulties. Quite frankly, you're lucky you still have a position within Nerv, let alone this one." She took off her glasses and laid them on her desk. "I went out on a limb with Professor Fuyutski for you. Don't make me regret that decision."

"You what?" Aaron asked, looking surprised.

"Professor Fuyutski opposed your appointment as the pilots' doctor. I convinced him that, given your experience, you were the right person for the job," Ritsuko answered. "I'm giving you a chance to redeem yourself. Don't blow it."

"I-I'm sorry," he stammered. "I-I didn't know."

"There is no reason why you would have known," she said. "But, if you ever repeat today's behaviour you may find yourself not only out of work, but facing the charges Nerv negated on your behalf. Am I clear?" Brahms nodded, dumbstruck.

"Was there anything else?" Akagi asked. When he shook his head, she said "Then please return to your duties, I'm rather busy at the moment." Aaron got to his feet and grabbed the medical files he'd brought with him and left, fumbling with them as he left the room. Dr. Akagi sighed and, hanging her head, began to massage her temples, her elbows resting on her desk.

- - -

Maya watched her superior as she removed her glasses, laying them on the clipboard on her lap and rubbed her eyes, sighing heavily. "You seem a little tense," she stated, looking at Ritsuko in concern. "Are you okay, doctor?"

"I'll be fine, Maya," the blonde replied, looking over at her assistant, smiling. "Don't worry." She thought back to the confrontation she'd had with Dr. Brahms yesterday, realising that it had rattled her more than she'd been willing to accept.

"You know, you always seem on edge whenever we do this," Ibuki commented, putting the portable console she'd been typing on to one side.

Akagi sighed again, looking around the command centre, watching as the assembled technicians carried out the tasks they'd been assigned as part of the diagnostic for the Magi super-computer systems. "I suppose I am."

"Do you want to talk about it?" her assistant asked, getting to her feet and walking over to her, perching on the edge of one of the consoles. "It might help you to relax."

Ritsuko thought about it for a moment, before saying "Okay." She put the clipboard, with the glasses still on it, on the console behind her. Turning to face Maya, she paused to organise her thoughts. "You do know who developed the Magi theorems, don't you?"

"Of course," the petite lieutenant smiled back. "It was your sister, Naoko."

"Yeah," the doctor responded, sadly. "What do you know about the personality transplant OS?"

"That's an easy one. It's a system that implants a human personality onto a seventh generation systematic computer, allowing the system to think for itself," Maya answered. She paused, cocking her head to one side before asking "Isn't it the same technology we use for the Eva's?"

"Right. Well, the Magi's programming used one of the first test subjects. So, since my sister was the one who developed the technology..."

"You mean it was her personality that was transplanted?" the brunette inquired, feeling surprised.

"That's right. In a very real sense, the Magi's brains are my sister."

"Is that why you work so hard to protect the Magi and keep them running properly?"

"A little," Ritsuko admitted, closing her eyes. "Naoko and I were really close. You could say she raised me after my parents died. I think… I think I also feel a little guilty."

"About what?"

"Letting her daughter go without a fight."

"I never knew you had a niece," Ibuki told her.

"I haven't really thought about her much for a long time. Her father took her after Naoko's death, something I don't think she'd have approved of."

"You didn't try to stop him?"

"I-I was a bit of a mess back then," Akagi told her, breaking their eye contact, ashamed of how she had behaved during that turbulent period. "The state I was in, no-one would've given me custody of a child. Not to mention the fact that the idea of caring for a young child terrified me."

"Do you know where she is? Your niece?"

"No," Ritsuko told her, looking up and staring out into space. "I can't even remember her name." Sighing and shaking her head, she looked back at Maya. "Anyway, the Magi represent the three aspects of herself. Herself as a woman, as a scientist and as a mother. Each Magi has one of those aspects implanted into it, as well as slightly different encoding. She deliberately included the dilemmas of the human experience in them." She paused again, taking a deep breath and holding it for a few moments before speaking again. "You know, I sometimes think of Naoko as more of a mother than a sister. Well, half-sister."

"You miss her, don't you?" Maya asked with a sad look in her eye.

"Sometimes," the doctor confessed. After a moments thought, she added "Thinking about it, I have to admit that although I loved her and looked up to her, there was one aspect of her that I think I hated."

"Which one?"

"Her as a woman," Ritsuko replied, tipping her head back and rubbing the back of her neck absently. "Mainly, I think, because of our different views on men. I mean, I'm not likely to ever have children of my own, but seeing how she struggled to raise me, I couldn't help but respect her for that. And as a scientist, she was brilliant. We may have disagreed on certain theories and methodologies, but we always held each other in great esteem." She sighed, dropped her head and sagged in her chair. "But men, that was something we could never agree upon."

"So which one is the woman part?" Ibuki enquired.

Akagi looked at her, surprised by the question. It took the blonde doctor a moment to figure out what her assistant had meant. "Huh? Oh. It's Caspar," the informed her, adding "Melchior is her as a mother and Balthasar is the scientist."

The petite brunette walked over and crouched down in front of her. "Did she know about…" Maya started, but trailed off, not wanting to say it in such a public place.

"Yes, she knew," Ritsuko said. "And she never judged me for it, even though I think she disapproved. She was never anything but supportive of me, no matter what it was."

"Just like you've been to me," Ibuki responded.

"Huh?" the doctor muttered, looking confused for a moment. "Yeah, I guess I have," she added slowly, realising that what her assistant had said was right.

"Well, they do say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," the woman quipped before crouching down.

"Get back to work, Maya," Ritsuko said, a relaxed smile on her lips. Ibuki nodded and stood up, laying one hand on the doctor's shoulder and squeezing gently before returning to her task. The blonde watched her go, shaking her head gently. '_How did I end up with someone as wonderful as you, Maya?_' she wondered.

To be continued…

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**Author Notes **–  
And the second-child arrives at last. I know many of you have wondering how I would handle her character and I can now start to show you. I was thinking of hooking her up with someone and would like to hear you guys think it should be.

I hope I got the German right! I don't speak the language myself and am having to rely on several dubious sources. Oh, and as I guess must of you guys don't speak the language, I'll be posting the translations at the end of each chapter.

And finally, let me say sorry about the late update, guys. My computer went on the fritz and I had to wait until I got get it sorted to be able to post. Life really sucks sometimes, you know? Bye for now.

**Original characters –**  
Kana Fuyutski  
Aaron Brahms  
Admiral Meer

**German translations –**  
Scheiße! – Shit!  
Hölle – hell  
verdammte – damned  
Dummkopf – Blockhead


	7. Discovery, Sympathy And Regrets

**Disclaimer –**

The original story Neon Genesis Evangelion, its characters and all other trademarks are used without permission. The originals are mine, and will be named in the author notes of the first chapter they appear in. I will be making no profit from this story.

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_**Evangelion Chronicles**_  
by Room3

**Chapter 07 **– _Discovery, Sympathy And Regrets_

"What about the rest of my stuff?" the second-child asked as she and Makoto came back down the stairs after he had shown her around the pilot dorm.

"It should be delivered in the next day or two," Makoto informed her as the two of them entered the lounge.

"So, what do you think?" Shinji asked from his position in the kitchen doorway. He had just had a light snack as he'd been feeling hungry on the trip back from New Yokosuka.

"Not too shabby, I suppose," the redhead commented as she took a look around the lounge area. "Not as good as the apartment I had back home, but-"

"Don't be difficult, Asuka," Lieutenant Hyuga said, interrupting her. "I know exactly what your living conditions at the Third Branch were like." She made a face at him.

"Makoto, where's Ayanami?" Ikari asked. "I thought she'd be home by now."

"Dr. Akagi wanted her for something," the pilot rep. replied. "She should be back soon." He turned to the German. "Any questions?"

"Nothing this narr can't answer," Soryu answered, flicking her thumb at Shinji.

"I don't think I want to know what that means," Makoto sighed, heading for the door. "I'll see you guys for the synch-test tomorrow."

"Bye, Makoto," Ikari called as the bespectacled lieutenant closed the door behind himself. Hearing a noise, the boy looked over and saw that the redhead had collapsed into one of the chairs facing the television. "Did you really live alone in Germany?"

"Huh? Oh, not really. I just wanted to wind him up a little," Asuka told him. "The Third Branch is nowhere near as extensive as this place." She looked over at him. "This Ayanami's the first-child, right? The pilot of Unit 00?"

"Yeah. But I should warn you, she's not exactly sociable."

'_What the heck does he mean by that?!_' she wondered. Before the German could say anything, the door opened and a blue-haired, red eyed girl in a school uniform walked in.

"Evening, Ayanami," the third-child said cheerfully.

"Pilot Ikari," the girl responded, her tone void of emotion.

Asuka got to her feet and wandered over to her. "You must be Rei Ayanami."

"That is correct," the first-child replied.

"I'm Asuka Soryu," the redhead said. "Since we're gonna be working together, we might as well be friends."

"What is a 'friend'?" Ayanami asked calmly.

"Wie können Sie das nicht wissen?!" Soryu exclaimed, looking completely stunned.

"I did not understand what you just said, Pilot Soryu," Rei informed her.

Asuka sighed, realising what she'd done. "I said, 'How can you not know that?!' I slipped into German. Sorry about that."

"If I knew what a 'friend' was, I would not have asked you what a 'friend' was," Ayanami informed her calmly.

"I-I consider you a friend, Ayanami," Shinji told the blue-haired girl, feeling a little uncomfortable.

Rei turned to the third-child. "You do?" she asked, her head tilting to one side slightly and blinking.

"Uh-huh," the boy nodded.

"Interesting," the first-child said, taking a moment to consider the boy's words. "However, that does not answer the question that I asked of you, Pilot Soryu," she added, turning her attention back to Asuka. "What is a 'friend'?"

"Let's see..." Soryu muttered thoughtfully. "A friend is someone you like spending time with, who you go out of your way to help. Someone you want to be around."

"I see," the red-eyed girl commented as processed what the German had said. "And does that person also do the same for you?" she asked.

"They should do," Asuka snorted. "If they don't then they're not really your friend."

"Then perhaps Shinji is my only friend at this time," Ayanami stated. "I believe that you and I being friends would be in the best interests of everyone," she said, staring Asuka in the eye. "I have homework I must complete," she added. Before either of the other two pilots could respond, she turned and walked away.

"She always like that?" Asuka asked, turning to look at Ikari.

"Pretty much," the boy replied, shrugging. "You get used to it after a while."

- - -

"Morning, Hikari," Kensuke said as she saw his pig-tailed friend approach the school gates.

"Morning, Kensuke," she responded cheerfully. "What you doing out here?"

"Waiting to catch a glimpse of the new pilot," the bespectacled youth informed her. "She's starting today."

"Another one?" Suzuhara asked, having heard Aida's comments as he approached. His tone showed clearly how much he did not like the idea.

"Hey, Toji," Kensuke replied, greeting his friend.

"Morning," Horaki smiled.

"Morning," Toji responded absently. "So that new pilot Ayanami mentioned is coming here?"

"Yeah," Aida nodded. "I wasn't able to find out her name, but I do know that she is from Germany."

"Just what we need! Another disruption!" Suzuhara muttered.

"There's no guarantee that she'll be in our class," Hikari told him soothingly.

"'Course she will be," he snorted.

"Yeah," the bespectacled youth agreed. "There's no way Nerv would let the pilots be split up."

The girl sighed and turned to Aida. "Anything else you can tell us about her?"

"Sorry, but I wasn't able to get access to her transcripts," he said.

Looking around, Hikari spotted Shinji approaching their position. "There's Shinji now," she said, pointing to him. "Hey, Shinji!" she called out.

Ikari looked over and waved, quickly closing the distance between them. "Morning, guys."

"Ayanami, Ikari," Suzuhara said, trying to keep his tone polite.

"Morning," Kensuke smiled.

"Good morning, Suzuhara, Horaki, Aida," Rei said in greeting, nodding to each one as she spoke.

"Morning, Shinji, Ayanami," the pig-tailed girl said.

Looking away from the third-child, Toji noticed a redheaded girl stood behind the two pilots, looking rather impatient. "Who's this then?" he asked.

"Asuka Soryu," the German replied, introducing herself and stepping forward, "pilot of Evangelion Unit 02."

"Pleased to meet you," Hikari replied. "I'm Hikari Horaki. This is Toji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida," she added, introducing the two boys. Toji nodded at the girl while Kensuke raised his hand.

"So I guess you live in the pilot dorm. too, huh Soryu?" Aida said.

"Yep. And don't call me Soryu," she told him. "Call me Asuka, okay?" She looked at Shinji and Rei who were stood behind her. "And that goes for you two and all."

"Hey, Asuka, are you a lesbian?" the bespectacled boy enquired.

"Kensuke!?" Hikari exclaimed, shocked by his question. Toji quickly reached up and smacked the back of his head, giving him a deadly glare. Frowning, Asuka walked over to him and punched his arm.

"Ow!" Aida said, rubbing his now sore arm.

"Sorry to disappoint you, you pervert, but I'm not," Soryu told him, her words laced with venom.

"Then why are you wearing that?" Kensuke asked, pointing to the shirt and trouser combination she was wearing. Toji and Hikari looked at her, having previously failed to notice her attire.

"I don't do dresses or skirts, not that it's any of your business!" the second-child snapped at him.

"The principal might not be happy about that," Horaki told her as gently as she could.

"Tough! Why the Hölle do I have to wear a uniform anyway?!" Asuka questioned. "I didn't have to back home."

"It's traditional," Hikari replied.

"So? Why do us girls have to look like that," the redhead continued, pointing to the outfit both Rei and Hikari were dressed in, "while you boys only have to wear a white shirt and black trousers, huh?"

"That is a valid question," Ayanami noted. She had found the design of the school uniform perplexing herself, but had not seen any reason to mention it.

Kensuke looked at his watch. "We better head in," he said.

As the group turned to enter, Soryu latched on to Ikari's arm, saying "C'mere Shinji. You're showing me the way to the office."

'_Why me?_' the boy wondered and sighed. "This way," he said aloud, leading the way.

- - -

"Hey, Shinji," Asuka whispered loudly, trying to attract the attention of the boy sat next to her. Not hearing her, he carried on typing at his computer. "Shinji!" she called again, louder this time.

Ikari stopped what he was doing and looked over at her. "Yes, Asuka?"

"How come you aren't listening to the teacher?" Soryu enquired, keeping her voice low to avoid being heard by Professor Koyasu.

"What's the point?" the third-child replied, not bothering to lower his voice. "The only thing he ever talks about is what happened before Second Impact, and none of it will be on our exams. Look around," he told her, waving his hands about, "no-one's listening to him."

The German had to agree with him about that. Heck, even the stuffy first-child wasn't paying any attention and was staring out of the window beside her. "So it's safe to say his lessons are always like this?"

"All except the ones interrupted by Angels attacks," Shinji said.

"So what do you do all day?"

"This and that," the boy shrugged.

"I've been meaning to ask, how come Toji's so cold to you?" the redhead asked after a few moments silence.

Ikari looked over at the snoozing boy in question before saying "His little sister was injured when Unit 01 went berserk during my first battle."

"He blames you for what happened?"

"Yeah," Shinji sighed, looking down at the keyboard on his desk, "but not as much as I blame myself. It's not as bad as it was. At one point he wouldn't even let Hikari and Aida talk to me."

"So what changed that?"

"He got caught out in the open during the fourth Angel attack," the boy told her. "Didn't have any choice but to get into the entry-plug."

"What about the 'thought noise'?"

"The what?" the third-child asked, looking at the girl again.

"Having someone else in the plug with the pilot causes interference in the control system," Asuka explained.

"So that's why it felt a little sluggish," Ikari murmured. "Anyway, once he was in I was ordered to withdraw," he continued, addressing the girl sat to his right. "But I didn't. I wasn't going to run away, especially with him in there. So I charged the Angel."

"And got hurt in the process, huh?" the German remarked.

"Yeah," Shinji nodded. "The left arm got fried pretty badly and there were two holes burnt through the stomach."

"Ouch!" Asuka cringed, imagining how that must have felt. "Bet you got chewed out good for disobeying orders."

"Uh-huh. Katsuragi was not happy, to put it mildly," the boy answered, recalling the woman's words.

"So Toji's been playing nice since then?"

"Well, nicer than he was," Ikari said, shrugging again.

- - -

"Try taking him down another two points, Yuriko," Makoto heard Lieutenant Ibuki say as he entered the harmonics lab. Akagi's assistant in her usual place by one console and there was a female technician sat at the other.

"Yes, ma'am," the woman sat at the second console replied.

'_Gotta remember her name's Yuriko,_' Hyuga told himself as he walked over to Maya's position, eyes glued to the images of the three pilots on the window in to the test chamber. "How they doing?" he asked quietly as he came a stop behind the petite brunette.

Ibuki looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. "Pretty good," she told him, looking back at her console. "Rei's actually managed to increase by about half a percent."

"That is good," Makoto responded. "It's been what, two, two and half months since it changed?"

"About that," Maya shrugged.

"What about the other two?"

"Shinji's gained another three points," the seated lieutenant informed him. "He's up to fifty-three point eight one now." She looked over her shoulder at him again, jerking her head for him to come closer. When he did, she whispered "Dr. Akagi thinks he's getting close to his maximum, which would be somewhere around the sixty percent mark. Personally, I think he's gonna go further than that."

"You think he's gonna beat Rei?" the bespectacled technician asked quietly, leaning over her console.

"I think he's gonna beat Asuka," Maya told him softly, "and she's at seventy-four point six two percent."

"Whoa," Hyuga murmured, looking up at the image of Shinji. "What do you think his max is then?"

"I'm not sure… But I'd guess somewhere around eighty, eighty-five percent. Maybe even ninety."

"You're kidding me!" Makoto exclaimed softly, looking at the petite brunette. "That high?"

Maya smiled. "The kid's a natural," she said. "It's like he was born to pilot the Eva." She typed a few commands in to her console and sighed. She opened her mouth to say more when the door to the lab opened. Both she and Hyuga looked over at it.

"Hey guys," Shigeru called cheerfully as he walked in.

"What are you doing here?" Hyuga asked, straightening up.

"Hey, I'm on break and needed to stretch my legs a little," the long-haired technician shrugged. "Besides, I've never seen one of these tests, so I thought I'd pop down and watch for a few minutes. You don't mind, do you, Maya?"

"Well, Dr. Akagi probably wouldn't want you in here, but I don't see why not," the doctor's assistant replied thoughtfully.

"Thanks," Aoba responded, wandering further into the chamber. "So, that's the new girl is it?" he asked, looking at the image of Asuka.

"That's her alright," Makoto said. "Asuka Langley Soryu. She can be a bit of a pain."

"But she does have the highest synch ratio," Maya interjected.

"Unit 01's fully repaired now, isn't it?" Shigeru asked. Ibuki nodded. "Three Eva's," he murmured and whistled. "That's sure a lot of firepower."

"It'll be even more in a few months," Ibuki told him. "Unit 03's nearing completion in the States."

"Four Eva's?! I wouldn't think we'd need that many," Hyuga commented.

"As long as the Angels keep attacking one by one, we won't," Aoba replied, shrugging. "But who says that won't change."

"You know, those 'Jet-Alone' robots might come in handy after all," the bespectacled technician said thoughtfully. "I hear the Beta Unit almost ready to test."

"Maybe," Shigeru responded, "but I don't think I trust a system that doesn't have a pilot. What happens in the control signal's cut off. Remember, those things have nuclear generators on board. Can you imagine the damage if one of their cores were breached."

"Speaking of pilots," she added, suddenly remembering something, "Dr. Akagi wants them to have a medical."

"When?" the pilot rep. asked.

"Tomorrow morning, in the infirmary," the seated lieutenant answered. "Dr. Brahms has been assigned as their personal physician."

"Who?" Shigeru inquired.

"Dr. Aaron Brahms, he arrived the same day as Unit 02," Maya explained. A beeping attracted her attention to her console. "Bring them back up, Yuriko," Maya ordered, looking over at the woman sat at the second console.

"Yes, ma'am," came the response.

Ibuki opened a comm. link to the test-plugs. "Okay guys, you can get out now, we're all done for today." She closed the link and looked at Yuriko. "Transfer the results to Dr. Akagi's office," she said, "I'll analyse them there."

"Well, I better be heading back," Shigeru announced, heading for the door. "See you guys later."

"I suppose I should tell them about the medical," Makoto said. "I think I'll catch them before they leave," he added to himself, heading out of the harmonics lab and towards the pilot changing rooms.

- - -

"A Medical?! But I just had one a couple of months ago," Asuka complained, slumping against the corridor wall behind her. The pilot rep. had caught the three children as they'd exited the changing rooms.

"Sorry, Asuka," Makoto apologised, "but it's Dr. Akagi's orders." The redhead snorted in disgust, folding her arms across her chest.

"When?" Shinji asked. He was looking forward to it even less than Asuka was.

"Tomorrow morning," the pilot rep. replied. "I'm to escort the three of you to the infirmary, at nine, where the new doctor will see you one at a time."

"A new doctor?" Ikari questioned, his brow wrinkling.

"Yeah. His name's Brahms; he arrived the same day as Asuka. He's been assigned to look after you guys," Hyuga explained.

"Our own doctor is the least they can do for us," Soryu muttered. "Fine! We'll be ready," she said glumly.

- - -

The professor rocked back and forth on his feet as he awaited the arrival of his friend, hands in his pockets. He pulled his right hand out and looked at his watch. He frowned. '_He's late,_' Kouzou thought. '_That's not like him._' He looked around him, taking in the calming atmosphere of the park.

"My apologies for being late," Keele's voice said from behind him. "A couple of points needed revising before I signed."

"No need to worry, old friend," Fuyutski told him, turning round and looking at the visored figure in the wheelchair. "I don't get out as much as I'd like. I'm spending far too much time underground these days."

"That's to be expected," Lorentz replied as they shook hands, "considering the current situation." He inhaled deeply. "But I must admit I probably don't get out as much as I should either."

"How are you feeling?" the commander of Nerv enquired.

"As well as can be expected," Keele responded. "Some days are better than others. How's the new pilot settling in?"

"From what Lieutenant Hyuga tells me, quite well," Kouzou informed him.

"And the Eva's?"

"If there was a problem with any of them I would've told you," the professor answered. "You worry too much, old friend."

"And you don't worry nearly enough," Lorentz countered.

"Perhaps," Fuyutski shrugged. "I'm thirsty. Would you like some coffee?"

"That would agreeable," the head of Seele replied. The professor smiled and began to walk slowly towards the coffee shop at the northern edge of the park. Keele used the joystick on the arm of the chair to make it follow him.

- - -

Cringing at the noise assaulting his ear, the third-child made his way up the stairs to the second floor of the gym attached to the pilot dormitory. Looking around, he spotted the German pilot attacking a punching bag.

"ASUKA!" the boy called loudly. No response. "ASUKA!" he called again, shouting as loudly as he could. The second-child looked over at him, wiping the sweat off her brow with the back of her wrist. "CAN YOU TURN IT DOWN A LITTLE?!" he yelled.

"WHAT?!" Soryu called back, although Shinji could barely hear her over the music she had playing.

"CAN YOU TURN IT DOWN A LITTLE?!" he repeated, louder and making his throat feel sore.

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Asuka shouted. "JUST LET ME TURN THE MUSIC DOWN A BIT!" She moved over to the music player and reduced the volume. "Now, what were you saying?" she asked, looking over at the boy.

Ikari sighed. "I was asking you to turn it down; it was hurting my ears and giving me a headache."

"Sorry," the girl replied, shrugging.

The Japanese boy tipped his head to one side slightly and wiggled his finger in his ear. "Do you always have it up that loud?" he asked.

"Not always," the girl replied innocently. "Just most of the time!" she added, smirking.

"Why'd you need it up so loud?" Ikari enquired.

"I don't have to," the redhead answered. "I just do." She bent over and picked up the water bottle sitting on the floor beside her towel. She took a swig before saying "It just helps me relax."

"You find that noise relaxing?" Shinji asked, looking completely surprised.

"Sure! Nothing beats a bit of rock. You should try it."

"No thanks. I like my eardrums the way they are."

"You're loss," the girl shrugged, smiling. She put the bottle back down and turned her attention back to the punching bag. "You don't know what you're missing," she told him, resuming her workout.

Sighing and shaking his head, the boy turned to leave. "Just remember you're not the only one using the gym, and we don't all share you're taste in music," he said, pausing on the stairs. "If you want it that loud, get some headphones."

"Whatever!"

- - -

"Doctor Akagi!" Aaron called as he saw the blonde woman walking ahead of him. She stopped and turned around. He hadn't known her very long, so he couldn't be sure, but she seemed upset by him.

"Yes, doctor?" she asked stiffly after he'd closed the distance between them.

"Can I speak with you for a moment?" he asked politely.

"Is it important?" she enquired, arching her left eyebrow.

"Yes. It's about one of the pilots," Brahms answered.

"Which one?"

"The new one, Asuka Soryu."

"What about her?" the blonde sighed. '_What has she been up to now?!_' she wondered, silently cursing the Marduk Institute for selecting her as the second-child.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to remove her from the combat roster," Aaron informed her.

"Oh?" Ritsuko asked, her eyebrow arching once again.

"She has a slightly enflamed appendix. I believe it would be better for all concerned if it is removed now, before it can progress," he explained, handing the papers he was carrying under his arm.

"Is she in any pain?" Akagi asked as she leafed through the report.

"I believe so, but she refuses to admit to it."

'_Sounds like her,_' the Ritsuko thought. "How soon can you perform the operation?" she enquired, passing the file back to him.

"Tomorrow, if you want me to," Aaron told her. "I presume the infirmary has all the relevant equipment."

"It does," the second in command of Nerv assured him. "Please begin the preparations and I'll have Miss Soryu brought in this afternoon."

"Thank you, doctor."

"Is that all?" Dr. Akagi asked. He nodded. "Good day," she said, walking off.

Smiling to himself, Aaron turned and began to head back to the infirmary, lost in his own thoughts. A few minutes later, he bumped into someone. "Oh, sorry," he apologised.

"Be more careful in future," a female voice told him coldly.

The doctor blinked, recognising the voice. He looked up at the lavender-haired woman before him. "Misato?!" he gasped.

"Brahms," the captain responded, her tone vacant of all emotion, looking down at the paperwork she was carrying.

"I didn't know you were working here," Aaron told her. "It's been a while."

"Whatever."

He sighed. "I see you haven't changed."

"Did you expect me to?" she asked, looking him straight in the eye.

"To be honest, I didn't think I'd ever see you again," Brahms answered, shrugging.

"That was my intention," Katsuragi informed him, looking away from him.

"I see," he replied, holding back the anger he felt at her comment. "I won't keep you then," he added, stepping to one side. She nodded to him and resumed walking. Watching her go he thought sadly '_What happened to you, Misato?_'

- - -

"I gotta ask, Shinji," the second-child said after he'd finished giving her a quick run down of the previous days events. She was sat up in the bed she'd occupied for the last few days, with him sat on the stool beside it. "Why the Hölle are you so nervous? Every time you've come to see me you look ready to jump out of your skin."

"I-I…" the boy stammered, before sighing and hanging his head. "I just don't like hospitals, that's all," he admitted. "I'm not too crazy about doctors or nurses either."

"How come?" Asuka asked gently, genuinely curious.

"I-I don't know," Ikari replied, looking at her with an incredibly forlorn expression on his face. "I just do."

"And you still come to see me everyday, despite hating this place," the redhead commented. "Why?"

"Well, you did say you wanted us to be friends."

"Yeah, I did, didn't I?" the German realised, smiling. The simplicity of his answer tickled her and she began chuckling. It only lasted a moment before she bent over, clutching her stomach and hissing. "Don't make me laugh, please!" she gasped, her tone almost begging.

"Are you okay?" Shinji asked, concern distorting his face.

She looked up at him, forcing her breathing to return to normal, and noticed he was standing over her. She leant back, her head resting against the wall behind her bed. "I will be," she told him tiredly.

"I'd better go," the third-child said, "we've got a synch-test shortly."

"On a Sunday?!" Asuka asked, looking at him in surprise. "Don't we ever get a day off?!" The boy gave a half-hearted, lopsided smile and shrugged. He looked like he was just about to say something when a high-pitched siren made them both jump. "What the Hölle is that?"

"Angel alarm," Shinji said, making for the door. "I'll see you later!" he called as he disappeared behind the closing door.

"Wunderbar!" Soryu muttered to herself, disgusted. "My first Angel battle and I'm stuck in here!"

- - -

"Units 00 and 01, ready for launch," Shigeru announced as Fuyutski took his seat. Thankfully the alert sirens had been silenced in the command centre, a fact for which the grey-haired professor was extremely grateful.

"Target status?" Katsuragi requested, her eyes glued to the main display.

"Entering sector nine now," Lieutenant Hyuga replied, checking the data on his console. "The city's automated defences are having no effect."

"Do we have a visual?" Kouzou asked.

"Yes, sir," Makoto answered.

"On screen," Fuyutski ordered. Hyuga entered the relevant commands and the tactical image on the main screen was replaced by the feed from one of the many cameras dotted throughout the city above. The Angel appeared to be a golden-yellow sphere with a small blue tube with narrow white bands extruding from the bottom of it.

"Has the Angel made any aggressive moves?" the professor inquired as he stared at the image on the large screen.

"Negative, sir," Makoto informed him. "It's just slowly making its way through the city."

"Proceed captain," Fuyutski said, effectively delegating command of the operation to the lavender-haired woman.

"Route the Eva's through gate seven and launch them," she ordered. "Have them take up position just outside sector nine, in the Angel's projected course."

- - -

"Unit 01 will take the point, with Unit 00 acting as back-up," Misato's voice informed the pilots over the comm. system a few minutes later as the Angel slowly drifted towards the Eva's positions. Shinji reaffirmed the grip he had on the pallet rifle, swallowing nervously, an action he knew he'd regret later – LCL did not react well with his stomach. He inched Unit 01's head forward slightly so he could look around the building he was using as cover.

"Target is now within firing range," the pilot rep.'s voice said.

The boy nodded to himself, steeling himself, and stepped out from behind the building, pallet rifle raised. The Eva just stood stationary for a few moments, waiting for the Angel to react to its presence. When it didn't, the pilot raised the mechanoid's AT Field. The Angel stopped. It hovered above the city streets, as if waiting.

"Unit 01, fire at will," Katsuragi's voice told him.

'_Here goes,_' the third-child thought, and pulled the trigger. The bullets flew towards the Angel, and ricocheted off the golden shell. The purple robot lowered the weapon in its hands and stared at its enemy. The tube on the bottom slid up the smooth surface of the sphere, stopping when the end was facing directly at him. '_Oh shit!_' Shinji thought, darting back behind the building he had previously used for cover.

- - -

Rei watched the action passively from her location a short distance away. The actions of Unit 01 seemed confusing to her. Why had Pilot Ikari retreated when the protuberance had directed itself towards him? The other Evangelion was currently kneeling behind the building it had moved behind, almost as if it were hiding in fear. Curious, the pale girl was about to ask her fellow pilot what he was doing when a long black object smashed through the upper levels of the building Unit 01 was knelt behind. She blinked thoughtfully as the shattered remnants of the building's windows rained down on Unit 01.

"Unit 00, move out," the voice of Captain Katsuragi ordered over the communication system. "Distract the Angel."

"Yes, ma'am," Ayanami replied, stepping out from behind the building she had been using for cover. Expanding her AT Field, she drew her Eva's progressive knife and calmly began advancing on the orb-shaped body of the Angel.

- - -

Shinji watched in shock as the orange Eva began to walk towards the Angel. What was Ayanami thinking?! He looked out from behind his cover and gasped. The tube was moving in her direction. Without thinking, the boy moved out into the clear and opened fire. Once more the bullets bounced off the golden sphere.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Unit 00 back away from the Angel. Relief flooded Ikari's mind. Realising the Angel would be locking on to him, he lowered the rifle and began to run through the deserted streets, hoping to prevent it from getting a fix. Behind him he heard the sounds of impact and knew the Angel was firing whatever weapon it possessed at him. Without looking back, he speed up his movements, darting erratically around the skyscrapers, doubling back on himself and changing direction mid-stride.

Stopping the Eva behind a multi-storey car-park, Shinji held the pallet rifle close and tried to slow his breathing. His heart was beating hard in his chest, more from the fear he felt than from physical exertion.

Behind him he heard the sound of breaking glass. Sneaking a peak between two levels of his hideout, he saw the orange mechanoid copying his actions, apparently moving at random between the buildings. His breath caught in his throat as he spotted a pattern in the other Eva's movements.

Before he could act, Unit 00 ran between two buildings. The Angel seemed to have anticipated the pilot's intention and fired at her. The third-child watched in horror as the large black dart launched from the tube struck the prototype, passing through its right forearm and imbedding itself in its upper chest. Rei screamed in agony over the comm. system.

Rage boiled inside the boy. Without any concern for his own wellbeing, he leapt out from his cover and fired at the Angel. The bullets merely rebounded off it, but in his frenzy Shinji didn't notice. Nor did he notice when the tube began to move, or when it pointed directly at him. He could her voices calling in the background, but paid them no heed.

"SHINJI!" a voice screamed at him, making him cringe at the noise. His senses returning to him, he gasped as he spotted the ringed tube pointing directly at him. A black dot appeared in it, growing larger. "MOVE!" the voice yelled at him and the realisation of what the blackness was dawned on him. Time seemed to slow down as he willed his Eva to move aside. The robot slowly, painfully slowly, inched to the side as the dart seemed to speed towards him. Ikari closed his eyes and cringed in anticipation of the pain he was about to feel. There was a smashing sound and time began to flow normally once more.

An impact knocked the wind out of him. Opening his eyes, he quickly realised he had not been hit. Panting in shock, he looked at the shattered remnants of pallet rifle he still held in his hands.

"Unit 01, withdraw immediately!" Katsuragi's voice ordered him.

"Help Unit 00 return to base," Fuyutski's voice added. Scrambling to his feet, Shinji ran between the buildings, concern for the first-child making him reckless. Fortunately, the Angel seemed to have decided he posed no further threat and did not react to his movement.

- - -

"The Angel appears to respond to perceived threats within a certain proximity to it," Doctor Akagi said as she stood next to the large video screen in the briefing room the command staff currently occupied. For the last half hour she had been analysing the Angel and its capabilities. "The JSSDF is currently attempting to determine the minimum safe distance."

"How much good will that do us?" Makoto asked, frowning. "We've already seen that the pallet rifles are ineffective against it. And I doubt Shinji'll be able to close enough to use the progressive knife."

"That is true," Ritsuko agreed. "The shell that surrounds the main body of the Angel is impervious to the normal ordinance the Eva's use." She pressed a button on the remote in her hand and the image beside her changed, showing an analysis of the target. "However, I believe I can suggest a course of action." Another button press and the image zoomed in on the tube-like protuberance. "This cylindrical section is roughly fifteen metres long and has a diameter of two point five metres."

"How does that help us?" Katsuragi questioned thoughtfully.

"The darts the Angel fires are two metres in diameter and approximately thirty metres long," the doctor explained. "Meaning-"

"Meaning the tube must penetrate the Angel's armour," Misato interrupted.

"Exactly," Ritsuko replied.

"So if the darts can use it to get out…" Kouzou started.

"Then we can use it as a means of gaining access to the inner body of the Angel, beyond the shell," the blonde woman finished for him.

"Excuse me, doctor, but how?" Shigeru asked.

"The sniper rifle?" Maya suggested, uncertain.

"Correct," Akagi responded. "Although still experimental, the sniper rifle we are currently developing for the Eva's would be able to provide the accuracy needed, while at the same time allow the pilot to remain a safe distance from the target." The doctor pointed the remote at the screen behind her once more.

"Sensor data on the inside of the Angel is hard to come by," she continued as the image showed a CG cross-section of the Angel, "but it does indicate that the core is situated in the centre of the sphere. The tube is always facing in a straight line out from the centre." She turned the screen off. "The visuals of the battle earlier show that the Angel only repositions the tube before firing. Until another potential threat is identified, it remains immobile."

"So we set up the sniper rifle with a direct line of sight on the tube outside the Angel's firing solution," Katsuragi commented. "Are you certain the bullet will penetrate the Angel's core?"

"A normal shell might not, but we do have a highly experimental round that's based on the same technology the progressive knives utilise," Lieutenant Ibuki informed her. "That should."

"Unfortunately we only have the one round at present," the doctor added. "It will be several weeks before another can be manufactured."

The lavender-haired captain looked at Fuyutski. "Sir?"

"There is no other course of action available to us at this time," the professor said thoughtfully. "Once the JSSDF have determined the range of the Angel's weapon, we'll send Shinji up with the sniper rifle. Doctor Akagi, please see to it that the rifle and shell are ready. Dismissed."

- - -

For about the twentieth time since being informed of the plan, the same words ran through Shinji's head. '_I can do this. I can do this._' Again and again that same sentence repeated itself, like a subconscious mantra. He looked at the image of the sniper rifles on the entry-plug's screen. The shell was already loaded. The targeting array was ready and waiting. All he had to do now was wait to be given the order to fire.

"The Angel is now within range of the rifle," Hyuga's voice told him over the comm. link. The boy took a deep breath to calm his nerves and emptied his mind of all thoughts of failure. He wouldn't miss. It was as simple as that.

"Activate the targeting array," Katsuragi ordered. A viewfinder slid down over his eyes. Two sets of red crosshairs began moving around each other as the system adapted to him. The image zoomed in on the target area several times, a pause between each as the crosshairs fine-tuned the rifle's aim. The crosshairs stopped moving and locked in place, turning green.

"Target acquired," Ikari said, trying to sound as calm and composed as he could, although he was sure that if he lifted a hand it would be shaking violently.

"Deactivate remote safety," the Director of Operations instructed.

"Deactivation confirmed," an unknown voice responded. The only change the pilot could notice was that the fine green rim around the viewfinder had become red in colour.

"Unit 01, fire," Misato commanded. Shinji took a deep breath, held it for a moment before releasing it and clearing his mind. He focused on the image of where they wanted the bullet to go. Blinking several times, he waited until his vision cleared again. Once it was, he gently squeezed the trigger on the control yoke in his right hand.

There was a loud booming sound and the Eva lurched from the recoil, snapping Shinji's head back against the rear of the seat. Hissing as his head hit, his eyes closed themselves. Rubbing the back of his head, he looked down at his lap. Certain his vision wasn't affected, he looked up as loud thud filled his ears.

The Angel's body rolled slightly from the impact caused by it falling to the city street. As it moved, it turned slightly so Ikari could see the viscous red liquid flowing from the end of the tube. Releasing the breath he hadn't known he was holding, he slumped down in the control seat.

"Angel status?" he heard Misato ask as he sighed.

"All energy reading have ceased," Makoto informed her, sounding as relieved as the third-child felt. "It's dead."

"Unit 01, return to base," Katsuragi instructed.

To be continued…

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Author Notes –  
**My thanks for all of you how continue to read this story. And once again, I'm sorry for how long it takes me to get each chapter out. You know, sometimes this thing I've created makes me wanna rip all my hair out!

In response to Spider Virus, I'd like to say that I always found NGE Misato's personality to be somewhat of a contradiction. She says she swore vengeance on the Angels for her father's death, but other than working as the Director of Operations, she did little to further that goal. She always seemed far too relaxed about the situation and cared more for the pilots than her own vengeance (which I admit is perfectly understandable). EC Misato is far more driven in her desire for revenge and will do anything she has to in order to see it happen.

Oh, and to Verbl Kint 187 I'd like to say a big thanks for the extremely kind words. But what the heck is the EFO? And as for Shinji offering Rei his hand to shake, that is a result of his upbringing at the boarding school he attended, which had several Westerners on it's teaching staff during his tenure.

**Original characters –  
**Yuriko – Nerv technician

**German translations –  
**narr – fool  
Wie können Sie das nicht wissen?! - How can you not know that?!  
Hölle – hell  
Wunderbar! – Wonderful!


	8. Consequences

**Disclaimer **–

The original story Neon Genesis Evangelion, its characters and all other trademarks are used without permission. The originals are mine, and will be named in the author notes of the first chapter they appear in. I will be making no profit from this story.

_Evangelion Chronicles_  
by Room3

**Chapter 08 **- _Consequences_

Asuka panted slightly as she picked up her towel, the headphones in her ears filling her head with loud music. She wiped the sweat off her brow before hanging the towel around her neck and turning off her music. Flipping the earbuds out and letting them fall onto the fabric of her top, she used her teeth to undo the Velcro strap on the mitt on her right hand. Pulling it off with her left, she flexed the newly free hand before releasing the strap on the left mitt and removing it, tossing both onto the floor by her gym bag.

Reaching behind her, the girl pulled her mp3 player off the waistband of her shorts and grabbed the headphones, wrapping the cord around the player. She knelt down and slipped the player into one of the side pockets before shoving the mitts into the other. Closing the zips, she heard the sound of clanking coming from the lower level. The redhead grabbed the bag and stood up, heading for the stairs.

As she descended, she cast her eyes around, looking for the source of the noise she had heard. A grin spread across her lips as she spotted Shinji using one of the many weight machines. The second-child walked over to him, stopping so she was just out of his line of sight.

"Trying to build up a bit of muscle, huh?" the girl said, startling the unsuspecting boy who had been lost in his own thoughts.

"Is that you, Asuka?" Ikari asked, stopping and wiping his brow.

"Who else?" she replied, stepping into view.

Shinji frowned, noticing the tired look on her sweat streaked face. "I thought you were told to take it easy?"

"Brahms is just being overprotective," the German responded flippantly. "Besides, I didn't do anything that would pull my stitches; just some light callisthenics."

"Well, don't blame me if you end up back in the infirmary," the third-child told her, standing up.

The girl snorted. "Like I'd do something like that!"

"What? Blame me or end back in the infirmary?" he smiled, walking towards the changing rooms.

Asuka gave him a playful shove, a small smile on her lips. "By the way, Shinji, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"What?"

"Are you and Rei related in anyway?"

"Not that I know of," Ikari answered, a frown appearing on his face. "Why?"

"Because you look so alike," the redhead stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"We do?" her companion responded, coming to a stop and looking at her quizzically.

"Aside from the differences in hair and eye colour, yeah," Asuka told him. "Don't tell me you hadn't noticed?"

"Why would I?" Shinji shrugged, continuing to the changing rooms.

"When is the Beta Unit test scheduled to occur?" Jacque Bouquet asked the professor as the discussion of the Human Instrumentality Committee turned to the 'Jet Alone' program.

"Within the next two days, or so I'm told," Kouzou responded calmly.

"And you are prepared for it?" the Frenchman questioned.

"Everything is in place and waiting," Fuyutski answered.

"That is good to hear," Viktor Hasan commented.

"Indeed," Keele intoned. "The very existence of the program is a threat to our scenario."

"However, those toys of theirs could still be an asset," Louise Daniels said thoughtfully. "Perhaps Nerv should offer their assistance, should the next two trials fail."

"An idea that may possess some merit," Megumi Takamura added. "It may be worth looking into, to see if we could use them in some way."

"Perhaps," Lorentz replied. "Professor Fuyutski, if you would look in to the matter?"

"Of course," Kouzou nodded. "I'm sure Dr. Akagi still has the technical specifications she was supplied before the Alpha Unit test. I'll have her look into the matter."

"Good," Jacque said.

"So, you think you're fitter than me?" Asuka asked, one eyebrow arching itself in challenge.

"Too right," Toji snorted.

"Come on then," the German said, putting her right elbow on the desk she was sat at.

"What?" Suzuhara asked, puzzled.

"Since I can't whip you in a race until my stitches are out," Soryu explained, "we'll settle this with an arm-wrestle."

"What's an 'arm-wrestle'?" Hikari inquired.

"It's a test of strength," Shinji said. "The two involved put their elbows on a flat surface, usually a desk or a table, and grasp hands. The object is to force your opponent's hand down onto the desk."

"So, how about it?" the second-child asked, looking Toji in the eye. "Afraid you can't win?"

"You're on!" Suzuhara told her, sitting down on the other side of the desk, copying her position.

"Shinji, you're ref," the redhead said. The third-child nodded and took up a position overlooking the desk.

"So what do I do with my other hand?" Toji enquired.

"Grab one of the desk's legs," Ikari instructed. "You too, Asuka." The two combatants did as instructed. Shinji grabbed their joined hands, checking the grip, before ensuring that neither had an advantage from the position. "Ready?"

"Yeah," Suzuhara answered. Asuka nodded, her eyes locked on her opponent's.

"Go!" the referee called. The two began to push and the group of interested students that had surrounded them began to cheer on their favourite. Hikari watched as Asuka began to force Toji's hand down, the smirk on her lips surprising the brunette.

A feral look spread across the boy's face as he began to push his hand back upwards, then Asuka's down. The redhead's smirk began to waver as Suzuhara began to win. Her brow creased in concentration as she willed her hand to stop moving. Sweat began seeping out of the pores on her forehead.

The first-child watched from her seat. Her face was blank, but she was extremely interested in the contest going on. She did not understand the second-child's need to prove herself superior to Suzuhara. Ayanami believed that he would prove to be victorious. She meant no disrespect to the German girl, she had witnessed how much weight she was capable of lifting. However, the blue-haired girl was certain that this 'arm-wrestle' was putting a strain on her lower abdomen, which as still not fully healed from her operation two weeks ago, and the unhealed wound would cause her discomfort, distracting her and preventing her from succeeding. A few minutes later she was proved correct as Ikari pronounced Suzuhara the victor.

"Scheiße!" the redhead muttered, wiping her brow. '_I can't believe I lost!_'

Kensuke noticed his friend rubbing the back of his arm. "You okay, Toji?"

"Yeah," Suzuhara replied, his breathing slightly heavy. "That was harder than I thought it'd be."

"So you thought I'd be a push over, huh?" Soryu enquired, her own breathing settling to its usual rhythm.

"Good match, guys," Shinji told them, stepping in before things between the two could escalate, as he was sure they would.

"Natürlich," the second-child responded, rubbing her wrist. She stared Toji in the eye. "You got lucky, that's all."

"Yeah, yeah; whatever," the boy replied. She was about to snap back a retort when the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch.

"Hey, Toji," Aida called quietly to his friend.

Suzuhara looked over at him, half asleep. "Wha' is it?" he mumbled, groggily.

"How's Noriko doing?" the bespectacled youth asked.

Toji stifled a yawn before saying "The doctors say she's improving. Can't see it myself, but mom's sure there's more colour in her face." He unconsciously began rubbing his right wrist.

"You okay?" Kensuke asked, frowning, as he noticed his friend's actions.

"Yeah, my wrist's a bit sore, that's all," Suzuhara answered.

"Guess Asuka's tougher than you thought," Aida commented, shooting a quick glance at he redhead, who was too engrossed in whatever she was doing to notice her name being mentioned.

"Dunno if I'd say that, but she's got a hell of a grip in her," his friend commented.

"One thing's for sure; she sure is full of herself."

"She's a pilot, she needs to be confident," Toji pointed out.

"Yeah, but there's being confident and there's being arrogant," Kensuke responded. He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I wonder if there's something wrong with Unit 02."

"What makes you say that?"

"I just realised that it wasn't used during the last battle," the bespectacled youth related.

"You idiot," Toji responded. "Asuka had just had her appendix removed, remember? They're not gonna let her pilot until she's recovered, are they?"

"I guess so."

"Aren't you coming, Asuka?" Shinji asked as he noticed the German had stopped just past the school door.

"I'll be along shortly," she replied. "There's something I need to do first."

"Okay," the boy responded and continued on, the first-child beside him. The redhead looked around and spotted Miki walking out of the door.

"Hey, class rep. Can I have a word with you?" Soryu called to Sadamoto.

The girl looked around and saw the second-child a short distance away. "Sure," she replied, smiling.

"In private."

"This way," Miki told her, leading her round one of the corners. Once they could no longer hear the remainder of their classmates, she stopped and leant against the side of the building. "What did you want to talk about? Are you having trouble with the kanji?"

"Yes," Asuka admitted honestly, "but that's not it."

"What then?" Sadamoto inquired, tipping her head to one side, curious. '_Didn't expect her to admit that._'

Soryu looked around, checking the two of them were alone. Satisfied they were, she said "I saw what you did to Marika and Megumi at lunchtime."

"I don't know what you're talking about," the class rep. assured her, trying to act innocent.

"Yes, you do."

"I need to be going," Miki said, and tried to walk away.

Asuka shoved her back against the wall roughly and leant towards her so their faces were mere inches apart. "I'm only going to tell you this once. Try anything like that with me or any of my friends and you get hurt. Got it?"

"Are you threatening me?" Sadamoto asked, slightly shocked by the pilots actions. Her mind raced, trying to think of a way out of her predicament.

"Consider this a friendly warning," the German girl told her, lightly brushing a speck of dirt from the class rep.'s shoulder. "It's the only one you're going to get," she added, taking a step back, but never breaking eye contact. "Verstanden?" Despite the fact she didn't know what the other girl had said, Miki nodded once, slowly. Asuka smiled brightly and walked off.

The blonde doctor sighed to herself as she spread the 'Alpha Unit' specification sheets across the desk. She looked through each sheet, sorting them into a number of piles, their position dependant on their content. She leant back in her chair and pinched the bridge of her nose. The slight headache she'd had all day was getting worse. The sound of the door opening distracted her and she looked up to see her assistant walk in, a warm smile on her lips.

"Hey, Maya," Ritsuko said in greeting, making her tone far more upbeat and cheerful than she felt.

"You okay, Ritsuko?" the petite brunette asked, noticing the weary look in the doctor's eyes.

"Just a little tired," Akagi lied. "Nothing you need to worry about."

"I always worry about you, Ritsu," Ibuki told her gently. "You know that." The doctor smiled in response. "What are you doing?" the lieutenant enquired, spotting the piles of paper.

"Just a little something the professor. You?"

"About to run that analysis you asked for this morning," Maya answered.

"Would you mind doing that from the Command Centre?"

"If you want me to.

"Please," Ritsuko said, getting to her feet. She closed the distance between them and kissed her girlfriend tenderly. "And don't forget about tonight."

"I won't," the brunette assured her before leaving the office. Ritsuko flopped down in her chair and sighed. She licked her lips, smiling at the taste of Maya that lingered on them.

She turned on her computer, quickly calling up the technical specifications of the Evangelions. Studying the pilot-Eva interface for about a minute, she also accessed the plans of the 'Gemini' project. Looking through the 'Alpha Unit' information, she sighed as he realised the data she needed wasn't there.

'_Good job I kept them,_' she thought as she pulled a key out of her jacket pocket and unlocked the bottom drawer on the left-hand side of the desk. Digging down to the bottom, she pulled out a large file and placed it on the desk, locking the drawer again. She leafed through the schematics of the 'Alpha Unit' until she came to the control system designs.

She examined the system for a few moments before turning to her computer and typing in a few commands. She looked at the screen for a couple of seconds, then turned back to the schematics in front of her, tracing a circuit with her finger. Frowning, she input another command into her computer.

Inspiration hit her, and she began typing furiously, her eyes looking over the plans beside the computer. She turned a couple of pages, one hand still working its magic.

Some twenty minutes later and her headache forgotten, she was finally satisfied and sat back, allowing the Magi to analysis what she'd done. She drummed her fingers on the edge of her keyboard as she awaited the results and allowed her mind to wander, reviewing her plans for the night ahead.

A beeping from the computer interrupted her contemplations and she leaned towards the screen, reading what is displayed.

"So it is possible," she murmured. She looked back at the schematics. "It would take quite a lot of work. The modifications needed would be extensive."

"And you're sure there's no way we can adapt the system for a pilot?" Fuyutski questioned as Akagi finished giving him her report. He was stood by the window in his office and had turned to look at as he spoke.

"I don't see how," the blonde replied, looking him squarely in the eye. "And I'm not sure I'd want a pilot that close to a nuclear reactor. But with the proper adjustments, the dummy-plug could work. I need longer to be sure, but the Magi reported a probability of success of seventy-six point zero nine." She paused for a moment to allow him to think before adding "That alone warrants further investigation."

"Then do so," the commander of Nerv told her, returning to his seat. "The 'Beta Unit' should be tested shortly and I want us ready to offer our assistance with the 'Delta', should the committee decide we will."

"Do you really think they will?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure," Kouzou admitted wearily. "But I think Keele will push for it, you know him."

"Always looking for a way to turn everything to his advantage," Ritsuko commented.

"Exactly. Any ideas how we can get one of those Jet Alone robot to generate an AT Field?"

"One or two," the doctor answered thoughtfully. "I need more research before I'm willing to say anything though."

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" a male voice called after her as Asuka shoved the person in front of her to one side.

"Dich schauen ihm zu!" she snapped back, not realising that, in her rage, she had spoken in German once more. "Schweinhund!" she muttered to herself and continued to stalk down the street.

'_How dare he speak to me like that!_' she fumed mentally as she barged past yet another person. '_Just who does he think he is!_' She vaguely heard the sound of cars horns blaring at her as she marched across the road without looking.

"Bewegen es!" she snarled as she pushed her way past two women who were stood talking, blocking the path with their pushchairs.

'_Nobody talks to me like that! Nobody!_' Her mental tirade continued as she stomped along the streets of Tokyo-3 with the redhead completely oblivious to where she was or where she was going. A door opened in her path and she barrelled past it, slamming it closed with her fist in the progress.

'_So the great third-child thinks he's better than me, does he! Well, we'll just see about that! He has no idea who he's messing with! No idea what I'm capable of doing to him!_' She smirked evilly. '_But he's going to find. By God, he's going to learn the hard way that you don't mess with Asuka Soryu!_'

She came to a stop, panting slightly from the speed of her travel, and looked around herself. She frowned. '_What the… Where am I?_' The road beside her was barren of traffic, the buildings old and decrepit. '_I'm lost! Wunderbar! Thank you very much Shinji!_'

"What's the matter, little lady?" a voice called from the alleyway beside her. The tone was oily and made her skin crawl. "You look lost."

Shinji bent double as he came to a stop, breathing hard. "Dammit… Asuka…" he gasped, "…how… can you… walk… so fast!" He looked up, still leaning over and panting. A frown creased hi brow. '_Where'd she go now?_' he wondered, looking around. He'd been following the redhead for the last fifteen minutes, ever since he'd noticed she'd left her phone behind when she'd stormed out of the pilot dorm.

Glancing down an alleyway to his left, he caught a brief flash of red hair disappearing round the corner of the far side. Taking a deep breath, he jogged down the alley and turned in the direction the hair had gone. He followed the road until it came to an end at a T-junction.

Looking both ways, the boy saw no sign of the second-child and his shoulders slumped. He'd lost her. Completely.

"Dammit, Asuka!" he muttered. "Why do you have to be so stubborn!" Sighing, Ikari looked left and right, trying to figure out which direction the German would have taken, and whether or not it was actually worth the effort of trying to find her. '_I should just leave her,_' he thought, recalling the things she had said.

"GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU FILTH!" a girl's voice shouted. Ikari recognised it instantly - Asuka. Realising it had come from the right, the boy ran in that direction, eyes darting around, trying to find her. "GET LOST!" Asuka screamed at the top of her voice. Hearing a hint of fear in her tone, the boy pushed himself harder.

'_Hang on, Asuka,_' the third-child thought as he ran. He skidded to a halt in front of an alleyway and saw a group of four male figures stood in around the redhead. He pulled his phone from his pocket and jammed his finger on to the panic button and pushed it back into his pocket.

"Asuka!" he cried, charging past one of the figures to stand by her side.

"Wha-what are you doing here?" Soryu asked, fear and confusion on her face.

"Get lost, kid," one of the figures snapped, making a grab for the German's arm. Snarling, Shinji pushed Asuka away from the man and slammed his fist into his face.

"You sure you don't wanna come with us, Maya?" Shigeru asked, leaning back in his seat and looking at the petite brunette as she typed away at her console. "I mean, it would just be you, me and Makoto."

"Thanks for the offer," Ibuki replied, pausing in her work to look over at him, "but I've already made plans for tonight."

Aoba shrugged, looking back at his screen. "I thought you might, but Makoto wanted me to ask." He smiled slyly as he began typing in a number of commands. "So, seeing your mystery guy again?"

Doctor Akagi's assistant frowned. "Huh?"

"Oh, come on, Maya," the long-haired technician said, swivelling his seat to face her. "You've been seeing someone for the last six months or so."

"No, I haven't," Maya told him, trying to act innocent. She looked back at her station.

"Deny it all you want, but me and Makoto both know you have been."

"H-how can you tell?" she questioned, realising her denials would fall on deaf ears. '_They think it's a guy,_' she thought, smiling inside.

"Easy – you've had more of a spring in your step, you've lightened up considerably and you're smiling a lot more than you used to," Shigeru informed her, smirking at her discomfort. "The only reason for that kind of change is a relationship."

Maya felt herself blushing and looked down at her keyboard. Thinking about it, she had to admit he was right. "I didn't realise it was that obvious."

"Not to everyone," he assured her gently. "So, who is he?"

"He's…uh… Um…." Ibuki stammered. '_Oh hell! What do I say!_' A high-pitched siren began screaming and red lights began to flash, saving her from her predicament.

"Report!" a voice from behind the pair ordered. Maya cringed as she looked over and saw Captain Katsuragi stood behind her.

'_How long's she been there?_' she wondered.

"One of the pilots' emergency beacons has been activated," Aoba informed the lavender-haired officer.

"Triangulate the position and inform Security Section," Misato commanded.

"Yes, ma'am," Shigeru responded, doing as she bid.

"Whose alarm is it?" Maya whispered to him.

"It's Shinji's," he murmured back.

"A few cuts and bruises, one or two scrapes. Asuka popped a couple of stitches and Shinji's gonna have quite a black eye, but that's about it," Makoto reported to Fuyutski. He was stood in the professor's office, giving him an update on the status of the two pilots who had been attacked earlier that day. "Nothing serious really."

"That's good," Kouzou responded. The door hissed open and Captain Rokobungi walked in. He marched up to the desk and saluted.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" he said formally.

"Yes, captain," the grey-haired professor replied. He looked at Hyuga. "That will be all, lieutenant."

"Yes, sir," the pilot rep. said and left the room.

"Now, captain, I want answers!" Fuyutski growled at the captain stood before him.

"Sir?" Gendo responded.

"I want to know what happened and exactly how it was allowed to happen," the professor clarified. "Section Two is supposed to protect the pilots from this sort of thing."

"I will investigate the matter personally, sir," the captain assured him, "and get you your answers."

"Good. I want an explanation, no matter what. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"That will be all," Kouzou told him. "Dismissed." Rokobungi saluted again and exited the office, leaving the professor alone with his thoughts. Sighing, he got up and wandered over to his window, staring out at the lake.

"God knows what Lorentz is going to say when he finds out about this mess," he murmured to himself, his breath misting the cool glass before him.

Asuka hesitated for a few moments before knocking on the door in front of her. "Shinji, you in there?" she called. She waited for a few seconds, but received no response. "I'm coming in."

She opened the door and walked in, looking round. The object of her search wasn't there. After her mind had registered that fact, she began to take in details of the room, what few there were. He had two small pictures of landscapes hung on the wall opposite his bed; his shelves held little.

"This place sure is Spartan," the redhead murmured. A glint of light caught her eye as she turned around. Following it, she saw a small silver frame on the unit beside the boy's bed. She frowned and walked over to it, picking it up. It was a photo of a woman in her mid-twenties. She had short brown hair and a kind smile.

"What are you doing in here?" a voice from behind her asked, causing her to jump slightly. Soryu turned around and saw Shinji stood by the door, a displeased expression on his face.

"I wanted to apologise," the girl told him. "You were right yesterday." The boy seemed to ignore her words and walked over, taking the photo from her and replacing it.

"I also wanted to thank you – for coming after me," she continued. "I hate to think what those guys would've done to me if you hadn't come along."

"You're welcome," Ikari told her softly, looking at the photo.

"She's beautiful," the German commented, here eyes on the picture. "Who is she?"

"My mother," the third-child muttered sadly.

'_His mother?_' Asuka thought. "What happened to her?" she asked him.

"She died…about nine years ago," Shinji said, blinking away the tears that stung his eyes. "I-I don't really remember much of anything from before it happened."

"How did it happen? If you don't mind me asking."

"I-I don't know," the boy sighed. "There was some kind of accident - at headquarters - and they told me she'd been killed."

"You asked to see me, captain?" Katsuragi asked, standing in front of Gendo's desk, saluting him.

"Yes," he replied curtly. "Thank you for coming. Please, sit."

"I'll stand," Misato replied. The fact that he had not returned her salute bothered her. She dropped the salute and stood at ease. "I won't be here for long."

"Captain, I am conducting this investigation at Professor Fuyutski's request," Rokobungi informed her, sighing.

"Understood."

"Now, you were in the Command Centre during the…'incident', correct?"

"I had just entered the Command Centre when the alarm sounded," the lavender-haired woman answered.

"And who else was present at that time?"

"Lieutenants Aoba and Ibuki."

Gendo scribbled a note on the pad on his desk. "What were they doing when you entered?" he inquired.

"Talking," she replied.

"They were discussing a work related issue?" he queried, waving his right hand as he did

"No."

"I see," Rokobungi responded, jotting something down. "You took charge of the situation, did you not, captain?"

"I did."

"What, exactly, did you do?"

"When the alarm sounded I asked for a report," she told him, frowning as he began making notes. "Lieutenant Aoba informed me that one of the pilots' emergency beacons had been activated. I ordered him to triangulate the position and to relay the co-ordinates to Security Section."

"Did you ask which pilot had activated their beacon?" the bespectacled captain enquired, looking up from his pad.

"No."

"Why not?" he asked, curious.

"I didn't believe it to be relevant," Misato said. "However, Lieutenant Ibuki did ask."

"Thank you, captain. Is there anything that you would like to add?"

"No."

"Then you may go, Rokobungi informed her, putting his pen down. "Thank you for your time." The woman nodded to him and left the room. Once he was alone, Gendo picked up the pad and tapped it on the edge of the desk as he reviewed what she had told him.

'_Ibuki's next,_' he decided, '_then Aoba. I'll make those agents wait until after I've spoken to Brahms and Hyuga. Make them sweat a little._'

"I was running an analysis on the Magi for Dr. Akagi," Maya informed the bespectacled captain.

"You can do that from her office, can't you?" he asked, interrupting her train of thought. She nodded. "So why did you go to the Command Centre?"

"She… I mean, Dr. Akagi asked me to."

"Why?"

"I don't know," the petite lieutenant replied, leaning backwards in the chair she occupied. "I didn't ask."

"Alright," he muttered, noting something down on his pad. "Please, continue."

"As I said, I was running an analysis for Dr. Akagi at the time. Lieutenant Aoba was on duty. While I was working, he started talking to me."

"What about?"

"Nothing work related."

"And…?"

"While we were talking, the alarm sounded."

"And that's when Captain Katsuragi arrived and took charge?"

"Yes, sir."

"I understand you were the one to ask which pilot had activated their beacon, correct?"

"Uh-huh," Ibuki nodded. "I wanted to know who it was. They're nice kids, even if Soryu can be a bit of a pain."

"You said Lieutenant Aoba was on duty," Rokobungi commented. When she nodded, he asked "What was he meant to be doing, exactly?"

"He was assigned to monitor the comm. system," Ibuki informed him.

"Thank you, lieutenant; that will be all."

"You were meant to be monitoring the comm. system, but chose to talk with Lieutenant Ibuki instead. Is there any reason that I shouldn't have you suspended?" Captain Rokobungi questioned, staring at the long-haired technician.

"Hey, I was monitoring the system," Shigeru responded defensively. "The hourly reports had just been received so there was nothing on the Section Two frequencies. If anything had shown up, the Magi would have alerted me."

"What about the other frequencies?" Gendo asked.

"They weren't my responsibility. All I had to do was monitor Section Two's communications. That's all," the lieutenant answered before sighing. "Look, Section Two monitor all the communications that come into or go out of headquarters, as well as every inter-departmental transmission."

"Who monitors them?" the captain interrupted to inquire.

"I was getting to that. The professor felt it would be a conflict of interests for them to monitor themselves, so a technician is selected at random from a different department to do it."

"And you were selected?"

"No," Aoba informed him. "I volunteered."

"Really?" Gendo asked, looking at him with a glint in his eye. He quickly made a quick note on his pad. '_Didn't expect him to admit that._' "Why?"

"Simple, I'd never done it and needed the money," the younger of the two replied. "I've been have trouble with my car recently, but I can't afford to replace it. Check with the professor or Dr. Akagi; they'll tell you I've been doing as much overtime as they can throw my way, within limits of course."

Gendo stared Makoto in the eye, in a deliberate attempt to unnerve the lieutenant. And it was working. "As pilot representative, the health and welfare of the pilots is your responsibility, is it not lieutenant?" he asked, taking off his glasses and giving them a wipe.

"Yes, sir," Hyuga answered stiffly.

"Then, I ask you," the captain continued, returning his glasses to his face, "where were you when the 'incident' occurred?"

"I was talking to Dr. Brahms."

"Brahms…" Rokobungi muttered thoughtfully. He looked through the papers on his desk. "Ah yes, the pilots' physician. What were you discussing?"

"I was trying to find out when Asuka would be having her stitches removed and when she'd be able to return to active duty," the pilot rep. informed him.

"Information which is no longer valid, I would assume," the captain commented, his mouth hidden behind his interlaced fingers as his elbows rested on the desk.

"You'd have to ask Dr. Brahms," Makoto shrugged.

"I will," Gendo informed him, making a quick note on his pad.

Hyuga took a deep breath and said, "And, sir, for the record, I don't like being accused of neglecting my duties. I can't be with the pilots all the time. I do have other duties as well."

"So noted, lieutenant," Rokobungi responded. "Dismissed."

"At this point, gentlemen," the bespectacled captain said slowly, carefully eyeing the four agents stood in front of his desk, "I am unsure as to whether you are completely incompetent and lacking the full use of your mental faculties, or whether I should have you brought up on charges of gross misconduct and dereliction of duty." Three of the agents twitched slightly at his words, the other managed to keep his impassive mask in place.

"I have seen the comm. transcripts from the day of the 'incident'," he continued, getting to his feet and walking around his desk. "The four of you made no mention of loosing either of the pilots during your hourly reports, which was the very last chance you had to save yourselves." He walked up to the impassive agent and stared him directly in the eye. "You failed. And failure is unacceptable, especially when those you assigned to watch over happen to be the Evangelion pilots." Rokobungi returned to his seat, placing his elbows on his desk and his interlaced fingers over his mouth.

"If I had my way, the four of you would simply 'disappear' from this facility, never to be seen again," he informed them, his tone cold and hard. He could hear and number of nervous swallows and could see sweat glistening on the brows before him. "And if I were to find that there was any malicious intent behind your failure, then that may actually happen.

"The three pilots are humanity's only chance to defeat the Angels, and you endangered two of them; angering a great many people in the process, a number of whom would like to see to your punishment personally," Gendo told them, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest. "And rest assured, gentlemen, the things these people could do to you would be far worse than anything I could come up with.

"Now, first I need to speak to the two of you who were assigned to watch the second-child," he continued, a small smile appearing on his lips. "The pair assigned to the third-child are to wait outside. I will deal with you presently." Two of the black-suited men shuffled as quickly out of the office as they could and still retain a modicum of self-respect. As the door closed behind them, the sound an extremely nervous gulp reached the captain's ears.

"You, gentlemen, were the first to fail in your duties," Rokobungi said, leaning his elbows on his desk once more. "And it was that failure that led to the assault on the pilots. And while it's true that your colleagues are also guilty, you were the ones who failed to ensure that the second-child came to no harm. Had you performed your duties as you should have, then the 'incident' would never have occurred." He picked the pen up from his desk and began waving at the two agents.

"Now, which of you was the one to suggest that you should not report in when you lost track of your charge?" When no response was forthcoming, he stared at them intently. "I will find out, one way or the other. You would be well advised to admit it now, rather than later."

The shorter of the two agents stepped forward. "I did, sir."

"Then rest assured that you will be facing charges if gross misconduct," Gendo told him. "However, both of you are guilty of dereliction of duty." Silence reigned for almost a full minute as the captain decided on his next words. "Each of you has one chance to help yourselves. I find it unlikely that the four of you involved are the only ones who are negligent. Were you to supply me with a list of breaches of protocol that you have either participated in or observed then the severity of your punishments may be reduced. But, I will need proof."

"…and the four agents in question have been dismissed," Gendo said, finishing his verbal report.

"Had they been here long?" Fuyutski asked, leaning back in his chair. Despite having spent the last half hour listening to the bespectacled captain, the professor was still paying complete attention, not willing to let a single detail escape.

"Their lengths of service ranged from four years down to about eighteen months. It's all in my report."

"Good."

Rokobungi shifted slightly in his seat, unsure how his superior would react to what he was about to say. "They also pointed out a number of breaches in protocol that have been ignored. And not just in Section Two either. Some of their claims are unsubstantiated."

"Investigate them anyway," Kouzou ordered. "I want a full review of security and procedures throughout headquarters."

"Yes, sir," the captain responded.

"Check with me before firing anyone else though," the professor added quickly. He liked how efficient Rokobungi was, but the staff at headquarters were his people. He decided how stayed and who went.

"Of course, sir," Gendo said. "Is there anything else?"

"Are the agents' personal details included in your report?" Kouzou inquired, an idea forming at the back of his mind.

"Yes, sir," the bespectacled officer informed him. "And their security cards and access codes have been deactivated and removed from the system," he assured his commander.

"Very good, captain. That will be all."

To be continued…

**Author Notes **–  
I'm sure some of you have been wondering what kind of person Gendo Rokobungi is. I hope this chapter has successfully given you an insight into his character. But there is more to him than you see here, as you will find out as the story progresses. As for what Fuyutski's idea was, I'm sure you guys can figure it out.

And a special thank you to PhilG for pointing out the mistake I'd made with Unit 00's colour in a previous chapter. I have now gone back and corrected it.

**Original characters **–  
Megumi – classmate of the pilots  
Marika – classmate of the pilots

**German translations **–  
Scheiße! – Shit!  
Natürlich – Naturally  
Verstanden? – Understood?  
Dich schauen ihm zu! – You watch it!  
Schweinhund! – Pig dog!  
Bewegen es! – Move it!  
Wunderbar! – Wonderful!


	9. Coming Of Age

**Disclaimer –**

The original story Neon Genesis Evangelion, its characters and all other trademarks are used without permission. The originals are mine, and will be named in the author notes of the first chapter they appear in. I will be making no profit from this story.

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**_Evangelion Chronicles_**  
by Room3

**Chapter 09** – Coming Of Age

Asuka felt a slight change in the feel of the test-plug a moment before she heard Dr. Akagi say "That's all for today. The three of you hit the showers." The plug juddered slightly as it began moving upwards.

"So how did they do?" the redhead heard Makoto ask.

"All three managed to increase their scores," Lieutenant Ibuki replied cheerfully. "Rei's up by point one nine, Asuka by one point three seven and Shinji by two point zero one."

'_Was? That Narr increased more than me?_' Soryu thought. She mentally tallied up their scores. '_That puts him at sixty-two point four one, meaning he's now ahead of Rei. She's on…sixty-one point nine six now, I think. And my score… Seventy-seven point zero five. Not too shabby._' She smiled to herself. '_And to think the tech's back home didn't think I'd go beyond seventy-five percent._'

The test-plug began to drain and, once the LCL was down past her neck, she began to cough the disgusting tasting liquid out of her lungs. The top of the plug opened and she blinked as the brighter lights of the test chamber shone in. The German clambered out and, once on the gangway beside it, rubbed the back of her left arm unconsciously. Seeing her two fellow pilots heading her way, she pushed the cold and discomfort she felt from her mind and smiled at them, reinforcing her self-confident appearance.

"C'mon guys," she said cheerfully, wrapping her arms around their shoulders, "let's hit the showers. Last one back to the dorm. has to make dinner."

- - -

"The team behind the Jet Alone program must be getting a lot of grief from their investors by now," Kouzou commented as he leant back in his chair. "Two of their four prototypes have now failed to work."

"I've heard rumours indicating that the 'Gamma Unit' is being rushed to the test phase," Ritsuko mentioned before taking a sip from the mug in her hands, allowing the coffee to warm her throat as she swallowed.

"I've heard that too, but there's no proof at this stage," Fuyutski told her.

"It certainly sounds reasonable though," the doctor remarked. "And both failures have resulted from problems with the control system. If I'd invested in them, I'd want proof that it can work."

"Can it?"

"It might. But I doubt it could be used successfully during an Angel attack. The time lag would cause too many problems. They just won't be able to react quickly enough."

The professor tapped a finger on the edge of his desk thoughtfully a couple of times before asking "What about programming an AI into the system? Or using the personality transplant OS?"

"The on-board computer system isn't powerful enough to handle either," Akagi informed him. "And increasing the size and power would require some major changes to the overall architecture. I very much doubt that they're willing to consider it."

"Wouldn't adding the dummy system require as much work?"

"More or less," the younger of the two admitted. "However, most of the system's control mechanisms are internal. The on-board systems would need some additional programming and reconfiguration, but the most difficult part should be physically installing the system."

"I'll take you're word for it. You're sure your data is accurate?"

"The schematics I have are for the 'Alpha Unit'," the blonde said, putting her now empty mug down on the desk between them. "I doubt very much that there have been any major changes made since. Unfortunately, our sources haven't been able to provide us much information on the 'Beta' or 'Gamma Units'.

"Do you think they suspect sabotage?" Kouzou asked, concerned. If that was the case then it would cause them problems.

"Unlikely. They have increased their security slightly, but not that much," Akagi informed him. "Most likely their investors have called for increased security."

"Let's hope so. Have our sources look into the matter, just to be safe," Fuyutski instructed.

"Very well. Was there anything else?"

"Yes, actually," the professor responded. He pulled an envelope out of one of his desk draws. "This arrived this morning," he told the doctor, passing it to her.

"A letter for Asuka?" Ritsuko commented, frowning, after looking at it.

"Yes. The third branch forwarded it to us," the grey-haired professor explained. "Please see that Hyuga passes it along."

"Of course."

- - -

"Where's Toji?" Shinji enquired. He'd noticed the boy was absent earlier in the day, but had had to work up the nerve to ask.

"Said he was gonna go see Noriko," Kensuke explained, leaning back slightly in his chair, the remains of his lunch spread across his desk. "His parents are gonna be at some meeting all day and won't be able to stop by. He didn't want her to be alone all the time."

Ikari looked down at his feet, guiltily. "How's she doing?" he asked quietly.

"Don't worry about it," the bespectacled youth told him, sitting upright and staring his friend in the face. "She's improving. It's a slow process, but she is getting better." Silence reined for a few minutes as Shinji became lost in thought, none of which were pleasant.

"Shinji? Can I ask a question?" Aida eventually asked hesitantly.

"Depends," the third-child answered. "What is it?"

"How do you get to be an Eva pilot?"

"Why?" Shinji enquired, puzzled by the question.

"'Cause I really wanna be one," Kensuke replied enthusiastically, staring off into space, lost in an imaginary battle against an Angel.

"No, you don't," his friend replied sadly.

Aida was snapped out of his trance by the tone of the pilot's voice. "But, Shinji-"

"Kensuke," the third-child interrupted forcefully. "Trust me. You don't wanna be a pilot." He sighed sadly and shook his head, looking at his feet. "It brings nothing but pain and sadness." Shinji looked Aida in the eye, the pain he'd endured clearly visible in his own. "I'm telling you this for your own good. Just… Just forget it, okay?"

- - -

Hikari hesitated for a moment as she looked at the redheaded girl who was lost completely in whatever it was she was reading. Asuka wasn't the most approachable of people, but the brunette had noticed that she didn't seem to have any friends, other than her fellow pilots. Reaffirming her resolve to make friends with the fiery German, Horaki walked over to her.

"Hey, Asuka," she said, coming to a stop beside her.

Asuka looked up and blinked. "Oh. Hi, Hikari."

"Mind if I join you?" Hikari asked, unsure as to whether the redhead welcomed the intrusion or would prefer to be left alone.

"Go ahead," the pilot replied, scooting over on the bench to make sure she had enough room before going back to her reading.

Hikari sat down next to Asuka, looking over at the letter in the pilot's hands in the process. "What you reading?"

"Huh?" Soryu grunted, looking at her confused. "Oh, this?" Hikari nodded. "Just a letter."

"Who's it from?"

"A friend back home," the redhead said, sounding almost sad.

'_Guess that's what German looks like,_' Horaki thought as Asuka slid the letter into her trouser pocket. There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments as both girls struggled to think of something to say.

"So… What do you think of Japan?" the brunette eventually asked.

"It's…different than I expected," Asuka smiled. "You've got some…unusual customs. But I'm adjusting."

"And you're settling in okay?"

"More or less," the second-child shrugged. She paused slightly before adding "I am having a bit of trouble with all the Kanji."

"I could help, if you'd like," Hikari suggested.

"That'd be great, thanks," Soryu responded, her tone sounding fairly flat.

"You okay, Asuka?" the brunette inquired, a look of genuine concern on her face.

"Huh? Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Why?"

"You seem a little, I don't know, distracted."

"Just thinking, is all," Asuka told her. She gave her head a gentle shake. "Have Professor Koyasu's lessons always been so…"

"Insightful?" Hikari suggested with a smile on her lips as he pilot trailed off.

"Yeah."

Hikari shrugged. "Can't say for sure, but I doubt it. I'll say one thing though, all the lessons I've had with him have been the same."

Asuka smiled. "Well, he does seem to be getting on a bit," she commented. "Maybe he's gone senile." Hikari spluttered into laughter and the pilot began chuckling a few moments later.

- - -

Miki quickly backed round the corner she'd just turned. She paused for a moment, uncertain, before peering round. She frowned to herself as she saw the two girls talking. It took all of her self-control to keep from stamping foot. First Shinji discussing something with that four-eyed idiot Kensuke, and now that redheaded bitch was chatting merrily with Hikari.

'_Dammit!_' she cursed mentally, withdrawing behind the corner once more and flopping against the wall, folding her arms across her chest. The class rep. had invested a considerable amount of time and effort to keep the pilots viewed as outsiders by the rest of the class.

Despite how much she wanted to march up to the German and smack that smug grin off her face, Miki knew that it was unlikely that she would be able to get away with it. Even if Nerv chose to do nothing about it she'd still have to face Asuka's wrath, and she clearly remembered the strength the girl had demonstrated during their previous confrontation.

No, Miki couldn't tackle her head-on. She'd have to be more subtle and make sure it couldn't be traced back to her. A shadow passed across her face and she looked up. A smirk spread across her face as she watched the blue-haired pilot walk past.

"An accident, maybe?" Sadamoto murmured thoughtfully before pushing herself of the wall and following Ayanami.

- - -

"Where is she now?" Fuyutski sighed, slumping back in his chair. Things had been going so well. All three Eva's were fully functional, and all the projects were on schedule. '_I should have expected something like this,_' he thought bitterly.

"In the infirmary," Dr. Akagi informed him as she stood in front of his desk. "Fortunately Section Two was able to intercept the ambulance before reached the hospital."

"Good. What's her condition?"

"Four bruised ribs, a hairline fracture of her left clavicle. Both her left radius and fibula are broken as well," the blonde answered, looking at the clipboard she held in her hand.

"Do you see any complications?" the professor asked, leaning forward and resting his forearms on the desk.

"Not with Rei," Ritsuko said. "But Dr. Brahms may cause a few problems."

"With how quickly she'll recover, yes?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Perhaps it would be better to reassign him," the grey-haired commander mused.

"There is that option. We could also assign each pilot to a separate physician."

"How would that help?"

"It would prevent any questions being raised if I took over Rei's care."

"You have too much else to do," Kouzou responded. "But having the pilots' doctor aware of her…unique nature would be an advantage." He paused and sighed again. "The question is, can we trust Brahms with that information?"

Akagi was silent for a moment, lost in thought. "I believe I may be able to convince him, but I'll need to check his records first," she told him.

"Do so. If we can't trust him, we'll have to replace him."

- - -

Ritsuko looked up from the report she was reading as the door to her office opened and Dr. Brahms walked in, coming to a stop in front of her desk. "Ah, doctor, thank you for coming," she said to him. "Please, take a seat. I'll be with you in just a moment."

Aaron sat down in the chair opposite her and waited. He watched as the blonde finished reading something and then stared off into space for a moment before taking a pen and signing her name. She closed the file and put it to one side.

"Do you know why I asked you to see me?" Akagi asked, looking him directly in the eye.

"I assume it has something to do with why I've been ordered not to reveal the extent of Rei Ayanami's injuries to anyone but yourself and Professor Fuyutski," the pilots' doctor answered.

"It does," Ritsuko told him. She paused for a moment before telling him "You should know that we are considering replacing you."

"I see," Brahms responded through clenched teeth. "May I ask why?"

"The current situation involving the first-child requires that the doctor in charge of her care be aware of certain facts, facts that require a higher security clearance than you possess."

"These…'facts' would relate to the anomalies in her blood work, I would assume," Aaron surmised.

"In a way, yes."

"You could always raise my clearance," he suggested.

"That is one option that is being considered," Akagi informed him. "However, your past record is working against you."

"That's understandable. I've done a lot of questionable things, the majority of which I'm not proud of," Brahms said. "But I do believe my record proves I'm capable of keeping my mouth shut and keeping secrets."

"True. It's the nature of those secrets that is the issue."

"There is one other thing in my favour."

"Oh? And that is?" the blonde doctor asked, not sure as to what her colleague was getting at.

"That Shinji has accepted me," Aaron told her. "I'm sure you know how he feels about hospitals and medics. So in that respect, replacing me would work against your interests, wouldn't it?"

- - -

"So, Rei, what happened?" Dr. Brahms asked as he sat down on the stool next to the bed in which the first-child lay.

"I was not paying sufficient attention to where I was going," she informed him.

"Why not?" Aaron questioned, clearly surprised by her response.

"I had been distracted."

"By who?"

"My class representative, Miki Sadamoto," Ayanami said.

The doctor frowned, lost in thought. "Do you think she did it deliberately?"

"I do not believe she includes me amongst those she considers to be her friends. However, I do not believe there was any malicious intent behind her actions."

"Fair enough," Aaron commented, but making a mental note to have Section Two look into this Miki Sadamoto.

"How much time must pass before my injuries have healed sufficiently for me to return to active duty?" the blue-haired pilot inquired.

"Rough estimate… I'd say about two and a half to three weeks. It would be longer for most people." Rei looked at him, her confusion shown only in the slight lifting of one eyebrow. Brahms caught her expression and said "I know about…"

"I understand," the pilot responded as he paused to think of the right words.

Silence reigned for almost half a minute before the doctor spoke. "Are you surprised I know?"

"Given the current situation involving myself, it is logical for the physician in charge of my care to possess that information. I did not expect them to impart that information to you," Rei told him, tone even and flat.

"I see. Well, I hope I prove myself to be worthy of their trust."

"As do I."

- - -

Hikari slumped down in her seat, feeling utterly defeated. "No one ever listens to me!" she complained. The bell signalling the start of the school day had rung a few minutes ago and she'd been trying to get her class-mates to take their seats without success.

"Be glad they don't," her bespectacled friend told her, cheerfully. "With your grades you'd be class rep. if they did."

The brunette looked him in the eye. "Do you know how good being class rep. looks on a college application?" she asked, her tone far more forceful that she'd intended. She sighed. "I'm sorry, Kensuke. I didn't mean to snap at you."

"It's okay," Aida assured her. "You got any idea where Miki is today?" he inquired, puzzled by the class rep.'s absence.

"No. Why would I? It's not like we're friends or anything," Horaki whispered to him as Professor Koyasu entered the classroom and everyone hurried to their seats.

"Good morning, class," the elderly teacher said as he sat down at his desk. "I see Miss Sadamoto is absent today. Has anyone spoken to her?" Silence greeted his question as a few curious glances were cast around the room. "I see. Let's move on to the roll shall we." He looked up. "Miss Ayanami is still absent. Mr. Ikari, do you know when she will be returning?"

Shinji felt his cheeks heat up as the class turned to look at him. "N-no, sir," he stammered, doing his best to ignore how nervous he felt. "Would you like me to ask?"

"That would be appreciated, thank you."

- - -

'_Maybe I should ask if I can go visit Rei,_' Hikari thought as she came to a stop just outside the school gates. The school day was done and usually the brunette couldn't wait to go home. But today was different. She had spent the day wondering how the blue-haired girl was doing; it had been almost a week since her accident, and she hadn't been to school since.

"Excuse me, miss," a male voice called, distracting her from her ruminations. She looked in the direction the voice had come from and saw a fairly handsome, tall, black-haired man with a thin beard standing next to a black car, the late afternoon sun glistening on his tinted glasses. "I'm looking for Shinji Ikari and Asuka Soryu."

"Oh, are you from Nerv?" Horaki asked, feeling slightly foolish even as the words left her mouth.

"Correct," he replied, warmly. "Captain Rokobungi. I've been sent to collect them."

"They should be along in a few moments," the girl informed him.

"Thank you, miss…"

"Horaki, Hikari Horaki."

"Hikari, you say," he responded quietly. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, oh brilliant light," he added louder, bowing deeply to her. Hikari blushed and Rokobungi smiled at her.

"Come on, Shinji," Asuka's voice called from behind the brunette. "I wanna get this stupid project done as soon as possible." Hikari turned to see the two pilots approaching the gates.

"I'm afraid it's going to have to wait a little while longer," the captain informed the redhead.

Soryu came to a stop just inside the school gates. "Gendo? What are you doing here?" she asked, puzzled by his presence.

"I was asked to take you to headquarters."

"Why? Is there another Angel?" Shinji questioned.

"I hope so," the German smirked. "I haven't had a chance to kick an Angel's ass yet."

"You'll have to ask the professor," Gendo responded, but he had obviously noticed the almost feral look on the second-child's face.

"Then let's get going," Asuka told him, striding purposefully over to the car.

"Bye, guys. See you tomorrow," Hikari called as she opened the passenger's door.

"See you, Hikari," the redhead responded before climbing in. Ikari waved to her before entering the vehicle as well.

The captain got in and closed his door, reversing away from the gates slightly. Stopping with a smile on his face, he wound down his window and said loudly "Farewell, oh glorious light." Hikari felt herself flush again as he drove off and found herself watching the disappearing car.

- - -

"Why'd you call her that?" Asuka asked as Rokobungi closed the driver's window.

"Didn't you know that 'Hikari' means light?" he asked simply.

"I never though of it like that," the redhead admitted. "You sure you can't tell us why we're going to headquarters?"

"I can't tell you what I don't know," the captain responded. Nothing more was said on the trip.

- - -

"The Angel appeared about forty-five minutes ago, fifty miles to the north," Makoto explained as he walked the two pilots from the changing rooms to the Eva cages. "It's only travelling at about ten miles per hour."

"That's slow," Shinji muttered.

"Yes, it is. Which is why the Angel alarm hasn't been sounded yet," Hyuga continued. "The professor wants it intercepted before it reaches the city. If you haven't stopped it before it gets five miles from the city, the alarm will be used."

"You won't need to," the second-child informed him confidently. "That Angel won't get within twenty miles of here."

"Doesn't matter how close it gets, as long as we stop it," Shinji said to his fellow pilot. "Right, Makoto?"

"Right."

"What about power? There's no way you've got an umbilical cable that'll reach that far," the redhead asked.

"The Eva's will be airlifted to a point approximately thirty-five miles north," the pilot rep. told them, coming to a stop outside Unit 01's cage. "By the time you arrive a support team will have arrived and field generators will be standing by. Just remember, the umbilical cables you'll be using are shorter than the ones here."

- - -

"Sure is taking its sweet time," Asuka commented glibly, leaning against one of the support beams for the gantry that had been erected around the Eva's. "We've been stuck waiting around here for long enough."

"It shouldn't be long now, Asuka," the third-child told her as soothingly as he could without sounding condescending. He was lying down on the gantry, his eyes closed.

"How can you be so calm at a time like this?" the redhead asked, looking down at his peaceful face.

Ikari smiled. "Meditation," he replied, opening his eyes. "You should try it sometime."

"Yeah, right," she snorted.

"The Angel will be within range in three minutes," someone announced using a megaphone. "Pilots, please board your Eva's."

"I guess this is it," Shinji murmured, getting up. "Good luck, Asuka."

"I don't need it," the German responded, sounding and looking sure of herself. Her expression softened slightly and she softly added "But thanks anyway."

As she climbed in to her entry-plug, she noticed one of her hands shaking. Pausing, she stared at it for a moment before clenching it into a fist, squeezing as hard as she could before relaxing the hand and continuing her ascent.

- - -

Asuka stared at the Angel, surprised by its appearance. It had the same basic look of a mouse-shaped cat toy; there were no ears or whiskers, and two ivory-coloured horns sat where the eyes should be. It appeared to have some kind of hard shell, which shimmered black, murky green and dull brown. Just looking at the damned thing made her want to vomit. About two thirds of the way along the back was very pale, almost white circular section. It didn't have any legs that the girl could see, but that didn't mean much. After all, most of the Angels that had attacked had floated in some way.

The second-child reaffirmed her Eva's grip on the pallet rifle in its hands. '_This is it,_' she thought. '_My first Angel battle. I gotta get this right. I can't afford to mess up._'

"Unit 02, advance to within firing range and attack the target," Katsuragi's voice ordered over the comm. link. "Unit 01, cover her. Understood?"

"You got it," Soryu responded, making herself sound far more confident than she felt.

"Yes, captain," Ikari's voice replied. The redheaded pilot was sure she heard an uncertainty in his voice and was glad her own had been calm.

"Move out," the director of operations ordered. Taking a deep breath, Asuka willed Unit 02 to move forward, keeping a close eye on the rangefinder. Once she was close enough, she took aim.

A sudden flash blinded her and she had to blink for several seconds, her eyes watering. As she took aim once more she realised something that filled her heart with dread. There was no sound. She couldn't hear anything, not the hum that generally filled the entry-plug, not the sound of the wind outside, not even her own breathing.

- - -

Confusion reigned in the command centre as those present tried to figure out just what had happened. All around technicians were trying to call to each other; some even appeared to be shouting. But there was nothing. It was deathly silent.

Ritsuko stared at the screen, not really seeing it, as her analytical mind tried to figure out the situation. It seemed to her as if she was deaf. She could accept that, but everyone else appeared to be similarly afflicted. Logic dictated that that was not possible. There was something else going on. But what?

She frowned as she focused on the image of the Angel; the pale patch was glowing a yellow-tinted white. It was doing something. A hypothesis formed in her mind.

Ignoring the painfully confused look on her assistant's face, she strode over to Lieutenant Aoba's console and typed in a few commands. As he looked at her, bewildered, sound returned to the command centre.

"What the hell was that!" Katsuragi demanded, relief colouring her voice.

"One moment," Hyuga said, checking his console. "Sir, the Magi report it as some kind of energy field capable of cancelling out sound."

"Like a kind of 'white noise'?" the lavender-haired captain asked, frowning.

"Not really," Akagi answered. "A 'white noise' jut masks sounds. This field is actually negating them somehow."

"What exactly did you do, doctor?" Fuyutski inquired from his usual position.

"I shut off our audio connection to the Eva's," the blonde informed him. "We're still getting the video signal."

"So what do we do about them?" Shigeru asked, gesturing to the screen and obviously referring to the pilots who hadn't moved.

"Deactivate their audio receptors," Misato ordered, looking at the long-haired technician.

"Yes, sir," he responded, turning his attention back to his console. He entered a string of commands, but nothing happened. He tried again. And Again. "Sir, we have a problem."

"What is it, lieutenant?" Katsuragi questioned.

"The signals being refused," he explained. "I can't shut down the receptors."

The captain frowned and crossed her arm, staring at the main screen, lost in thought. "Can the pilots do it manually?" she asked a few moments later.

"Yes, but they don't know how," Dr. Akagi answered. "Maya, send a text message to the pilots. Include in it the instructions they need to disable the Eva's audio receptors."

"Yes, ma'am," the petite brunette said, glad to have something to do that would help Shinji and Asuka.

- - -

'_What the hell's going on!_' Shinji wondered, feeling panic grip him. '_Why can't I hear anything!_' His breathing was becoming ragged as his mind raced in circles. A video window opened in front of him and he was surprised to see a text message. Reading it he frowned. It didn't make much sense, but he trusted that they knew what they were doing.

He finished following the instructions and the sound of his own heartbeat filled his ears. He sighed, the noise sounding more beautiful than he could ever have imagined. He closed the text window and a video link to the command centre appeared.

"Shinji? Asuka? Can you here me?" Professor Fuyutski's voice enquired, his tone tinged with concern.

"Yeah. What happened?" the third-child replied.

"The Angel is using some kind of energy field to nullify sound," Akagi explained.

"What was with those instructions?" Soryu asked, clearly perplexed.

"We had to get you to shut down the Eva's audio sensors," the doctor said. "Fortunately for us the LCL in your entry-plugs in protecting you from being directly affected by the field."

"So all we have to do is kill the Angel and this field will disappear," the German pilot surmised.

"That's correct," Ritsuko responded.

"Then enough chatting, let's just kill this thing and get it over with," Asuka suggested.

"But how?" Ikari asked.

"That glowing patch on the Angel is where the field is emanating from," Makoto announced. "And according to my readings it's also the core."

"Unit 02, proceed as planned," Katsuragi ordered, "but keep an eye out, there's not telling what other surprises that Angel has in store for you."

- - -

The redhead smirked to herself as she took aim. "You're all mine," she murmured and pulled the trigger. Her expression faltered as the shells ricocheted off the Angel's AT Field. '_Dammit! I'm gonna have to get closer so I can neutralise that thing._'

"What the…?" she exclaimed as a sudden urgent beeping assaulted her ears. Looking at the Angel, she saw something flying towards her. "Scheiße!" she cried as she dived to one side, feeling something scrape against her side before she hit the ground. Looking up, she saw what she could only describe as some kind of red ribbon retracting to the Angel. On the end was one of the horns she spotted earlier.

"Are you okay, Asuka?" Shinji asked her.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she told him, getting to her feet and carefully watching the Angel. "At least we know what tricks that thing's got now, huh?"

"It's logical to assume that both of its horns are extendable like that," Akagi's voice told them.

"Then I'll just have to be more careful," Soryu said, crouching down and taking aim again. She fired a short burst and watched the Angel. As soon as she noticed one of the horns moving, she leapt away. Landing neatly, she turned and fired off another burst. As the second horn shot towards her, she jumped aside again. As soon as she landed she took aim and fired, only to have the first horn launched at her again.

"Dammit! That's things too fast!" she complained as she dodged again.

"Unit 01, take up a firing position no closer than five hundred feet to Unit 02," Katsuragi instructed. "Unit 02, when you're ready, signal Unit 01 and open fire. Unit 01, as soon as the horn is launched at Unit 02, fire at the target and dodge."

"Got it," Ikari responded, moving his Eva forward. He took up a good position. "Ready when you are, Asuka."

"NOW!" the redhead shouted, firing a two second burst. As soon as the Angel began its counterattack, she jumped aside and heard the purple mechanoid attack. Hoping Shinji's reflexes were quick enough, she landed and fired again as the horn that had been used against her was still being retracted. She watched, dumbstruck, as it stopped moving backwards and flew towards her once more.

"ASUKA! LOOK OUT!" the third-child yelled at her, bringing her to her sense. Out of sheer instinct she made Unit 02 drop to the floor. The horn sailed over her head, just missing her. Unfortunately it didn't miss her umbilical cable, which was severed.

"Unit 02 switching to internal power," Aoba's voice announced. "Four minutes activation time remaining."

'_Only four?_' she wondered, surprised. Then it hit her. '_Of course, the reserves haven't been topped up since we were airlifted here._'

"The pallet rifles are having no effect," Makoto declared.

'_I could have told you that!_' the redhead snorted mentally.

"One of you will have to disable those claws so the other can get close enough to attack the Angel with your progressive knife," Katsuragi told the pilots.

"Shinji, fire at that thing," Asuka told her fellow pilot. "Then drop the rifle and move to the side. As the Angel attacks, try and grab the horn."

"O-okay," he responded. "But what about the other one?"

"I'll catch it and pass it to you," she told him. "Then just hold on tight and I'll kill it. Okay?"

She heard Shinji take a deep breath and release it. "Yeah. Just tell me when you're in position."

Shinji felt sweat seeping from his brow as he took aim. He'd only get one chance at this and he knew it. He could feel his hands shaking on the control yokes as he waited for Asuka's signal. Closing his eyes for a moment he forced himself to breath deeply, emptying his mind.

"Ready when you are, Shinji," the second-child's voice told him over the comm. link.

Ikari opened his eyes and stared intently at the image of the Angel before him. '_I can do this,_' he told himself firmly. He took aim and fired a three second burst at the Angel. As soon as he released the trigger he threw the rifle behind him, his eyes locked on the Angel. '_Any moment now,_' he thought, tensing himself.

The last shell impacted the Angel's AT Field and the Angel responded by shooting on of its horns at the purple robot. The pilot of Unit 01 made it jump to one side, barely avoiding it. Relief coloured his mind as he realised he'd successfully evaded the attack, but he didn't allow himself to relax. He grabbed the ribbon-like growth to which the horn was connected, thinking '_I hope her reactions are fast enough._'

He felt the Angel tugging at the ribbon in Unit 01's hands and tightened his grip, ensuring his foot was as secure as he could make it. Seconds later a beeping filled his ears. Looking up with a gasp, Shinji saw the second horn flying towards him. Before he could so much as blink Unit 02's hands grabbed hold of the red ribbon and pulled, dragging the horn off target so it passed by harmlessly.

The red mechanoid walked over to his Eva. Holding the ribbon-like connection firmly in its left hand, the third-child wrapped it round the Eva's right. Satisfied the grip was secure, he repeated the process with the one Unit 02 held with his left hand.

"Make it quick, Asuka," Ikari told her, feeling the increased pull the Angel was exerting. It obviously knew it was defenceless and was desperate to free itself. Frowning, he leaned the Eva backwards, digging his feet in as much as he could.

As much as she was concerned for her fellow pilot, Asuka refused to hesitate, not even to steal a glance back to see how he was doing. Beside, she didn't have much time left before she would be out of power. She willed Unit 02 to run as fast as it could, crossing the distance to the Angel in seconds, during which she drew her progressive knife. A press of a button on her control carriage and the blade slid into place. A moment later she felt the weapon begin to vibrate in her hand.

As Unit 02 close on its target, the pilot focused her mind as she'd been taught to, using her Eva's AT Field to nullify the Angel's. She felt a slight buzzing sensation and realised she'd done it. Pushing away the jubilant feeling she experienced, she came to a halt.

The Angel was thrashing about, desperate to free itself from Unit 01's grasp, but to no avail. Smirking to herself, Soryu lifted the knife over her head and gripped it with both hands. "Ich werde Sie töten," she taunted, deliberately speaking in her native tongue, before plunging the blade down into the glowing part of the Angel's back. Sparks flew from the knife as she forced the weapon in. The glow faded and the Angel emitted an unearthly screech, causing Asuka to cringe and close her eyes, before falling still and silent.

"Is it dead?" the German pilot asked, realising she was panting.

"Yes," Makoto confirmed. "The seventh Angel is dead. Congratulations, Asuka, you've just-" Whatever else he had to say was lost as her entry-plug was plunged into darkness.

"Ein zu mir," the redhead murmured before flopping back in her seat and closing her eyes. "Ein Mal, kein Mal," she sighed resignedly.

To be continued…

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**Author Notes** –  
And Asuka finally gets to kill herself an Angel. If you want to know what Asuka's letter said, tell me. If I get enough requests I'll write it as a side-story.  
Thanks for all the reviews you've sent me. Glad to know you're enjoying the story. You know, as yet none of you have taken up my challenge to name the Angels. It is still open.  
Unfortunately this is going to be the last chapter I'm going to be able to post for a while. Although I keep coming up with ideas, they're not ones I can use here. So this story is going to have to go in hiatus for a couple of months. Hopefully I'll be able to resume posting by July at the very latest. And if any of you have suggestions you'd like to make, feel free to. I'd welcome them.  
Hope to see you again in a couple of months, Room3

**German translations **–  
Was? – What?  
Narr – fool  
Ich werde Sie töten – I'm going to kill you  
Ein zu mir – One to me  
Ein Mal, kein Mal – Just once counts nothing  
(although the literal translation is 'one time, no time')


	10. Family Matters

**Disclaimer –**

The original story Neon Genesis Evangelion, its characters and all other trademarks are used without permission. The originals are mine, and will be named in the author notes of the first chapter they appear in. I will be making no profit from this story.

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_**Evangelion Chronicles**_  
by Room3

**Chapter 10 **– _Family Matters_

"Shinji's dropped a couple of points," Maya commented to Akagi. She had just finished analysing the data from the pilots' latest harmonics test when the blonde had walked in.

"That's to be expected," Ritsuko replied, sitting down wearily.

"I heard the professor was going with him tomorrow," Ibuki said, spinning her chair round to look at the doctor.

"He wants to," her superior related, "but he's not sure he'll be able to make it." She sighed heavily and got to her feet.

"Thinking about Naoko?" the petite brunette asked, tipping her head to one side as she watched the woman she loved begin to pace about the office.

"Yeah," Akagi responded, stopping and pinching the bridge of her nose.

Ibuki got up and walked over to her, wrapping her arms around the blonde's waist from behind and resting her head between her shoulder blades. "Maybe you should go visit her."

"It has been a while," Ritsuko admitted, before sighing. "Too long really. I'll go in a couple of days; we're too busy right now." She felt herself being turned round gently and found herself staring down at her assistant's face.

"We'll both go," Maya told her.

"You don't hav-" the doctor started, but was silenced by a finger on her lips.

"I know. I want to."

Akagi smiled tenderly in response. "Thanks, Maya," she murmured, embracing her lover.

- - -

The redhead slipped the headphones into her ears before zipping up the light jacket she'd slipped on before leaving the dormitory. Reaching around to the back of her waistband, she switched on her mp3 player and began to jog down the path leading towards headquarters.

'_Glad that damned project's out the way,_' she thought as music started pouring into her ears. She and Shinji had just finished work on the project Professor Koyasu had assigned them and, with it being Rei's turn to make dinner, the German had decided to burn off a little of the excess energy she had running through her system. Shinji had suggested that rather than workout in the gym she could go for a gentle run around the Geo-Front.

'_Considering how caged in I've felt recently,_' she mused as she turned towards the artificial lake that lay beside the pyramid-shaped building, '_this is just what I need._' She could feel the gravel crunching under her feet, but the music filling her ears eclipsed the sound. Without realising it, she began to mouth the song's words as she ran, mentally signing along.

Arriving at the lake, she stopped to take in the view, pausing the player clipped to her waistband. Her breath was only slightly heavier than normal and she could feel the gentle breeze that blew off the water as it evaporated the light coating of sweat that glistened on her forehead, cooling her.

"I wonder what time he'll be leaving in the morning," Soryu murmured. The third-child had told her about his plans for the next day earlier, after their synch-test, and she found herself speculating about it. '_It's a good thing I'll be cooking tomorrow,_' she realised. '_He's not gonna be in a fit state to do anything when he gets back._'

A beeping sound distracted her from her ruminations. She frowned as she looked at her watch. "I can't believe I've been stood here this long," she sighed, turning off the alarm and unzipping her jacket.

As she reached round to start her music again, she smirked to herself. '_Let's see just how quick I can get back._'

- - -

"Hey, Asuka?" Aida called to the redhead sat in the row in front of him. She looked over at him. "Where's Shinji?"

"He won't be coming to school today," Soryu informed him sombrely, then looked towards the front of the classroom.

"Why not? Is it his birthday or something?" Toji asked casually, his tone almost jovial.

"No," the second-child answered flatly.

"Then what?" Kensuke inquired.

"I don't see why I should tell you," Asuka snapped, eyes blazing as she glared at them. "If Shinji wanted you to know, he would've told you himself," she added.

"Please, Asuka," Hikari pleaded, having been listening to the conversation from her seat. "I'm worried about him. He normally only misses school if he's been injured."

"Don't worry. He's fine," the German assured her. "He just… He had something important to do. Today." She returned her attention to the desk in front of her.

"What's so special about today if it's not his birthday?" the bespectacled youth wondered aloud, frowning.

Asuka sighed heavily and looked back at the trio who had been speaking to her, noticing a strange look on Horaki's face. "It's the anniversary of his mother's death, sie Dummkopf," she told Kensuke sharply.

"Oh," he responded, lost for words.

"Happy now?" Soryu asked, an unpleasant look on her face. The bell signalling the start of the school day rang before he could respond and the redhead looked towards the front of the class.

- - -

"Always remember, Shinji, you were her joy, her happiness," Professor Fuyutski said softly to the boy who was crouching down in front of his mother's grave marker. "Everything she did, she did for you, for your sake. Never doubt how much she loved you." The ringing of a phone interrupted him before he could say more.

"Fuyutski," he said, answering it. There was a pause as he listened to the person on the other end. "I understand," he responded. Another pause. "I'm on my way."

Shinji sighed as he heard the professor hang up and put the phone away. He almost jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I have to leave," the commander of Nerv told him gently. "Stay as long as you need. Just tell the driver when you're ready to go."

Shinji nodded without looking back, his eyes glued to the slab of stone before him. He heard his companion start to walk off. "Professor," he called, standing upright and looking behind him. Kouzou stopped and looked back at him.

"Thank you," Ikari said. The professor smiled and nodded before continuing on his way. The boy watched as he left the graveyard, stopping to speak to the driver of the car that had brought Shinji here before climbing aboard the VTOL that was his own transport.

As the aircraft took off, the third-child crouched down once more, looking at his mother's grave, his emotions in turmoil. A few moments later tears started falling from his eyes and sobs wracked his body as he collapsed against the marker, releasing all the grief that had lingered in his heart since his return to Tokyo-3.

It was hours before he stopped crying and left.

- - -

The second-child frowned as a sudden thought hit her. It was now lunchtime and she'd found herself thinking about Shinji on and off all morning. "You know, I just realised something," she said, looking at the girl beside her."

"What?" Hikari asked.

"Shinji never talks about his father," Asuka related.

"That's because he doesn't know who he is," the brunette informed her.

"Was?" the redhead responded, looking shocked. Her companion looked at her, puzzled. "Sorry," Soryu apologised, realising what she'd done. "I meant 'what?'."

"German again?"

"Uh-huh," the second-child nodded. "What did you mean 'he doesn't know who he is'?"

"His mother never told anyone," Horaki told her. "She refused to."

"Why the heck would she do that?"

"Maybe she was raped," the brunette suggested, causing both girls to shudder at the mere thought. Nothing more was said for a few moments, with the two of them lost in their own thoughts.

"So maybe they are related," the German muttered.

"Who?" Hikari questioned, wondering what the other girl was getting at.

"Shinji and Rei."

"Why'd you say that?"

"Gott!" Asuka exclaimed, looking upwards dramatically. "Am I the only one who sees it?"

"Sees what?" Horaki asked.

"How much they look alike," the pilot answered.

"No they don't."

Soryu sighed. "Look past the hair and eye colours," she told her companion. "Look at the shapes of their faces."

"You're right!" the brunette exclaimed softly.

- - -

Rei sat alone in the classroom. It was lunchtime and the rest of her class were outside, consuming their midday repasts and indulging in various activities, the majority of which would be physical in nature. She had decided to do neither and her mind replayed the discussion that had occurred before the start of school, the one about Ikari's absence. She was puzzled by the reactions of her classmates when Soryu had mentioned it was the anniversary of the day that Ikari's mother had died. She knew from the interactions she had observed, as well as those that she had participated in, that most children seemed to not only spend a great deal of time with their progenitors but also have great affection for and dependence on them.

Ayanami did not understand this. '_I…do not recall…my parents,_' she considered, feeling unaccountably unsettled at the thought. She knew that such a situation was not uncommon, especially since the upheaval that had followed the event referred to as Second Impact.

'You don't miss what you've never known.' It was a phrase that she had heard mentioned once. She could not recall to what the speaker had been referring, but it seemed perfectly acceptable to her to utilise it for her own parental situation. The first-child had also once heard said that someone without biological parents often came to view those individuals that raised them as their parents. If that was indeed that case, then, the blue-haired girl concluded, perhaps she should view Professor Fuyutski, and possibly Doctor Akagi as her own parents.

She considered the ramifications of such and decided that no, she would not burden them with the responsibility of being her replacement parents. They had a great deal of work that they already had to accomplish, and many of their tasks were vital to the continued survival of the human race.

Besides, she had functioned effectively without parents thus far. And it seemed inefficient in the extreme to become reliant on someone at this stage in her existence. 'Family', whatever the term actually meant, had little relevance to her or her situation.

- - -

Sighing as she saw the depressed look on the third-child's face, Soryu made a snap decision. Ikari was led on his bed, staring at the ceiling the same way he had been for the last couple of days, and the German was growing tired of his despondent mood. She'd only looked in on him to let him know where she and Ayanami were going. "C'mon, Shinji, on your feet," she said cheerfully.

"What?" the boy responded, blinking as he looked over at her, a confused expression on his face.

"I'm sick of you moping around here," she told him sharply. "Me and Rei are going shopping, and you're coming with us."

"I'm fine," Shinji told her, turning his attention back to his ceiling.

"No, you're not," the redhead responded and walked over to sit on his bed. "Look, you don't want to talk about what's bothering you, that's fine," she said softly, laying a hand on his shoulder. "But you need to get out more." She stood up and headed towards the door, pausing at the threshold. "Now, you've got two minutes to get a jacket and some shoes on and get your sorry butt downstairs. If you don't, then I'm gonna come back here and drag you along with us, kicking and screaming if I have to."

The third-child sighed and sat up. "Fine," he responded flatly.

- - -

"You know, I'd almost forgotten it was December already," Asuka commented to no one in particular as the trio entered the department store.

"Why?" Ikari questioned, puzzled by what she'd said.

"Because there're no Christmas decorations anywhere," the redhead replied.

"What are 'Christmas decorations'?" Ayanami asked in her usual quiet tones.

The second-child stopped dead, looking at the blue-haired girl in surprise as the other two pilots carried on walking for a few moments before realising she had stopped. They looked back at her, puzzled. "You really don't know?" she managed to ask after a few moments.

"I would not have inquired what 'Christmas decorations' were if I were already aware of what they were," Rei responded calmly.

Soryu turned to the third-child. "Shinji, help me out here. You know what they are, don't you?"

"I know of them, but I've only ever seen them in books," the boy shrugged.

"Would I be correct in assuming that 'Christmas decorations' are ones that are used to mark something of great importance in the culture of Germany?" the first-child enquired.

"Hey! Christmas isn't just important in Germany!" the fiery redhead exclaimed. "It's important in every Christian country."

"This 'Christmas' is a religious festival then?" Rei asked, tipping her head to one side.

"From what I learnt at my old school, Christmas is the most important one in Christianity," Ikari informed her. "Right, Asuka?" he added, looking at the German.

"Damned straight!" the second-child exclaimed. "Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ."

"Who is this 'Jesus Christ' individual?" the blue-haired girl questioned.

Asuka's shoulders slumped visibly and she sighed heavily. "He's the son of God," she informed her fellow pilot. "You do know who God is, don't you?"

"I understand the concept of gods," Rei responded.

"Not gods, plural. God, singular," Soryu corrected her. "The Almighty." She rubbed her forehead, feeling a particularly intense headache coming.

"I didn't realise you were religious, Asuka," Shinji told her, looking mildly surprised.

"I'm not, really," she said. "My father and step-mother are. To be honest, I never thought much about Christmas in the past. But, seeing as I won't be celebrating it this year, I guess it just kinda hit me how important it is." She smiled sadly and looked at Ayanami. "Look, Rei, if you wanna know more I'll help you find it on-line when we get back, okay?"

"That would be acceptable," the pale-skinned pilot responded.

"Good. Now let's get shopping."

- - -

"You know, Rei, I'm not really an expert when it comes to fashion," Asuka told the blue-haired pilot, indicating to her own outfit of faded jeans and T-shirt, "but you really should try wearing some brighter colours."

"What would be the purpose of such an act?" Ayanami asked.

Shinji sighed to himself as he blocked out the German's startled response. '_Can't see why Asuka's surprised by her question,_' he mused, looking at the window display of the shop next to them. '_I thought she knew Rei better than that by now. Heck, I'm betting that to Rei, clothes are just something you use to cover yourself with and keep yourself warm. What they look like probably doesn't matter to her._'

He put the bags the second-child had given him to carry on the floor at his feet and closed his eyes, leaning against the glass behind him. '_I guess I'll have to thank her for dragging me along on this trip,_' he realised. '_I did need to get out of the dorm. Actually, just getting me out of my room was probably a good starting point. But then again, Asuka never seems to do things by halves_.' The boy felt a small smile slowly spread across his face, the first for several days.

"Shinji! I asked you a question," Soryu snapped at him, bringing him out of contemplation. He looked at her, puzzled. "Weren't you listening to me!"

Ikari shrugged. "Sorry, guess I got lost in my own thoughts."

"Do that in your own time," the redhead snorted. "Now grab those bags and come along before Rei changes her mind."

- - -

The sound of someone calling his name made Aaron look up from the beer he was currently nursing. As his eyes lifted, he saw a familiar looking guy with long brown hair. It took his slightly inebriated mind a few seconds to identify the figure.

"Lieutenant Aoba, isn't it?" he asked, pleased to note his voice wasn't slurred, yet. The lieutenant nodded and sat down on the opposite side of the table the doctor was sat at.

"I was a little surprised when I saw you sat here," Shigeru related. "Didn't think you drank."

"Not often," Aaron replied. "Only one or two after I've hard a bad day." '_Not like I used to,_' he added mentally.

"So I guess Katsuragi's warpath hit you as well," Aoba commented.

"You got it," the doctor answered, before lifting his glass to his lips. Swallowing, he sighed, putting the beer down a little harder than he'd intended and spilling a little. "Luckily, Doctor Akagi's little assistant managed to keep the brunt of it off me."

"What do you think of her?" the lieutenant enquired. "Captain Katsuragi, I mean."

"Misato? She's changed, and not in a good way."

"You knew her before you came here?"

"Knew her! You could say that. After all, we were living together," Brahms informed the surprised lieutenant. He drained his glass and gestured to a waiter to bring him another one.

"Really?" Shigeru asked. "So what happened?" The waiter brought over another glass of beer and the doctor thanked him before turning his attention back to Aoba.

"Damned if I know," Aaron answered, taking a large swig of his drink. "Everything seemed to be going great. Hadn't had a fight for months. I was even considering asking her to marry me." He paused and drank some more, knowing he'd pay for it the next morning.

"Then one day, I came home and all her stuff's gone. Poof! Just like that. All she'd left were her keys and a note," Brahms said, his voicing growing increasingly slurred as the alcohol made its way though his system. He drained the glass in front of him and belched loudly.

"What did it say?" Aoba enquired, sliding his glass over to the doctor.

"What did what say?" Aaron asked, holding Shigeru's glass in his unsteady hand.

"The note Katsuragi left you."

"Oh, that," the doctor said, before draining the glass he held. "I'll tell yer, Misato was never the most eloquent of writers. Her messages were always short and to the point." He looked at the now empty glass mournfully. "This one was no different." He put the glass down and grabbed Shigeru's arm. "You know what it said? You know what message she'd left me? One word – 'Goodye'. That's it," he related, waving his hands about to emphasise his words.

"One little word. No explanation. No reason. Nothing. Just 'Goodbye'." The doctor sniffled slightly before saying "Didn't see her 'gain 'til I got here. Ran into her in the 'firmary. Told me she'd planned on ne'er seeing me again."

"Sounds like the kind of heartless thing she'd do," Aoba replied. "Did you hear what happened during the fourth Angel battle?" he asked and his companion shook his head. "There was a civilian in the battle-zone, one of Shinji's class-mates. He was right there, next to Unit 01 and the Angel. Shinji couldn't anything without the kid getting hurt or worse."

"So wha' she do?" Aaron asked, leaning forward on the table as his seat no longer seemed capable of holding his upright.

"She told Shinji to attack and said that the kid was expendable, that he'd chosen to be there and it would be his fault if he got hurt," the lieutenant answered, sitting backwards in his seat to try and avoid the smell of the doctor's breath.

"I'll tell ya…" Brahms started, but stopped as his hand knocked over one of the empty glasses on the table. He stared at it for a moment, looking at it, frowning before he spoke again. "I'll tell ya something, she's a real col'-hearted bi'ch these days. Don' even recognise 'er as the girl…as th' girl I loved."

- - -

'_Sure glad that's not me,_' Ikari thought as he watched the redheaded pilot of Unit 02 beating up the punching bag in the gym. He'd seen her train many times, but never as savagely as she was right now. Something was obviously bothering her, but as Shinji reviewed the day's events he could find nothing out of the ordinary, nothing that could account for her sour mood.

Just as he finished his contemplation, Asuka gave the bag a vicious roundhouse kick that set it swinging. She paused to allow it to stop and caught sight of the third-child leaning against the railing. She turned to look at him, panting, and wiped her brow on the back of her wrist. The two just looked at each other for a few moments, the only sound being that of the swinging bag and their breathing.

Smiling, Shinji asked "Wanna try that with someone who can hit back?"

"Think you can keep up with me?" the girl asked, arching her right eyebrow imperiously.

Ikari shrugged. "I'll give it a shot," he told her. "But take it easy one me to start with, huh?"

I'll think about it," the German smirked. "Now, let's hit the mats."

- - -

The third-child grasped the hand offered to him and let Soryu help him get to his feet. The look in her eye clearly showed that she'd managed to work out most of her aggression, although the boy now regretted sparring with her. He ached all over and was having trouble putting any weight on his left ankle.

"So, what's got you so mad?" he asked, deciding that maybe now was the time to try and talk to her.

"Nothing," she replied, before pausing and adding "Everything." She sighed heavily and grabbed her towel, rubbing it over her face. "I dunno," she admitted sadly. She looked over at her companion and stared him straight in the eye. "But if you dare spout any drivel about it being 'that time of the month' I'll beat you to death with your own spleen, got it?"

"Wouldn't dream of it," Shinji assured her, and meant it. She'd used him as a punching bag enough for one day, and he'd probably be fine without having to experience it again. "But, if you figure it out and wanna talk about it, I'd be happy to listen."

The German sneered. "I bet you would. And where exactly would we have this little 'talk'? In your room?"

"My offer's genuine, Asuka," Ikari assured her, his tone making it clear how much her accusation stung. "And the talk can be anywhere you want it to be." He grabbed his towel. "I'm gonna hit the showers," he told her, beginning to limp off.

"Whatever."

"And don't forget, Asuka," he called over his shoulder, "it's your turn to cook tonight."

"Ja, ja, I know."

- - -

"I'm home," Suzuhara mumbled glumly as he closed the door to his family's home behind him. He didn't know why he'd had the urge to say it. He knew there was no one in; there hadn't been for months now. He shook way those thoughts, refusing to dwell on what they implied, and trudged to his room to start on his homework.

It was at times like these that he threw himself into his school work more than he used to before. Usually, whenever he'd be in the kind of mood he was in right now, Noriko would barge into his room and, somehow, get him laughing and joking, leaving the sadness behind. But that was before.

"Before…" the boy muttered as he flopped down in the chair by his desk. '_Before I met Shinji and Asuka and Rei. Before I knew what an Eva looked like. Before I knew what one was. Before the Angels showed up._' He rubbed his eyes and sighed sadly, forcing away the flare of anger he felt directed at Ikari. He knew it wasn't the boy's fault. And he was grateful that he had agreed to pilot that robot in the first place. But a part of him still hadn't forgiven Shinji for what had happened to his sister.

"Damn I miss having you around, Noriko," Toji murmured sadly, feeling the itch at the edge of his eyes that indicating tears were forming. He quickly gave his eyes a rub and forced back the tears. She wouldn't want him to cry for her. She'd want him to get on with his life so he would have a lot to tell her when she woke up.

'_When she wakes up,_' he thought to himself, reaffirming that she would. No matter what the doctor's said, the boy knew above a shadow of a doubt that she would awaken. And she'd kick his ass if he didn't have a lot to tell her about what she'd missed!

- - -

"How are they getting along?" the professor asked the bespectacled pilot rep. who was sat opposite him, referring to the younger man's three charges.

"Great," Makoto smiled. "Asuka seems to have to decided to be the one to keep their spirits up. You know that shopping trip she dragged Shinji along on a few days ago?" Hyuga paused while his superior nodded. "Well, it was going to be just her and Rei, but she took him along in the hopes of cheering him up."

"How is he doing?" Kouzou enquired, worried. He'd noticed how quiet the boy had been since their visit to his mother's grave.

"He seems to be over whatever's been bothering him recently," the lieutenant replied softly. "And he's taken to sparring with Asuka."

"That's a good idea. It'll help keep their skills sharp. What about Rei?"

"Surprisingly, she actually seems to be making an effort to be more sociable," Makoto answered. "Admittedly it's not much, but she does seem to be trying. She's definitely spending less time alone in her room than she used to, and she's joining in with Shinji's and Asuka's conversations more." He was about to say something more when the door to Fuyutski's office opened and Ritsuko strode in.

"My apologies for interrupting, professor," she said, crossing the floor and stopping in front of the desk, "but this is important."

The commander of Nerv nodded at her before turning his attention back to Makoto. "Is there anything you wish to add, lieutenant?"

"No, professor."

"Then I'll let you get back to your duties," Kouzou responded. The pilot rep got to his feet and left the office. "So, what's so important?" the professor asked, gesturing the doctor into the newly vacated seat.

"I just received word from the committee," Akagi informed him, settling into the proffered chair, "Nerv's assistance with the 'Delta Unit' has been accepted."

"Excellent," the professor smiled, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms.

"There's still some red-tape to go through, but once that's sorted, the chief engineer will send me the schematics to study while it's en route from Kiev."

"I assume you'll be using one of the spare cages to house it."

"Actually, I was thinking about using the testing facility at Matsushiro," she informed him.

"Might be a good idea, in case something should go wrong," he commented. "Will you have all the equipment you need?"

"I will have by the time it arrives," the blonde assured him. "Most of what I'll need is already in place."

To be continued…

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**Author Notes **–  
Sorry it'staken me so long to get this chapterup. I wish Ihad better news, but I don't know howlong it will be until I can get the next chapter up.It could be twomonths orit could be longer, but I guarantee thatI will finish this story, not matter how long it takes me.  
And sorry shadowspider101, but the Angel's name is neither Charoum or Douma. I can see why you picked them, and you're on the right track. Feel free to have another go.

**German translations **–  
sie Dummkopf – you idiot  
Was? – What?  
Gott! – God!  
Ja – yes (or yeah)


	11. Light And Shadows

**Disclaimer –**

The original story Neon Genesis Evangelion, its characters and all other trademarks are used without permission. The originals are mine, and will be named in the author notes of the first chapter they appear in. I will be making no profit from this story.

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_**Evangelion Chronicles**_

by Room3

**Chapter 11 **– _Light And Shadows_

"I have to admit, I was surprised to hear Nerv had offered their assistance," Sascha Wisztreich, the chief engineer of the Jet Alone Delta Unit related as he was led into Matsushiro testing facility where the Russian built robot was being housed. He was a tall man of about the same age as the woman who was escorting him, with closely cropped brown hair that was starting to turn grey at his temples. "We are, after all, in competition."

"From a business stand point, perhaps," Dr. Akagi replied, holding a door open for him. "However, our intentions are the same – to eliminate the threat posed by the Angels. That is my only concern. If the Jet Alone robots can assist in that, then I welcome them and will offer any help that I can."

"I have read through your proposal, Dr. Akagi, and to be quite frank, I have my doubts," Sascha informed the blonde as they began climbing a flight of stairs. "The remote operational system has failed to provide acceptable results in all three prior tests. I don't see how this 'dummy-plug' system of yours will fair any better."

"I understand your concerns, Mr. Wisztreich," Ritsuko responded as reassuringly as she could, "but you have to understand, the dummy-plug system utilises an artificial intelligence matrix to direct its actions. The only thing we control remotely is the system's target." As they reached the top of the stairs she pointed to the left.

"I'm surprised you don't use the system for those Evangelions of yours," the Delta Unit engineer commented.

"It's still highly experimental at this stage, but the Magi report that it has a very high probability of success with the Delta Unit," she told him. After a brief pause, she added "and to be perfectly honest, I prefer to have a human pilot with a computer system as a backup, should it be needed."

"Whereas, I must admit, I prefer to have a computer in control. I hope this difference in opinion isn't going to affect our ability to work together."

"I doubt it. I am a scientist, first and foremost. The only problems I can foresee are the usual ones that an engineer and a scientist working together encounter."

Sascha chuckled as she opened the door in front of them. "I know what you mean. And I hope you're right."

- - -

Thunk.

Thunk.

Thunk.

"Bad luck, Asuka," Shinji smiled. "That's only forty-seven."

"I can see that," the redhead snapped. The boy chuckled softly to himself as he calculated her remaining score and marked it on the chalk board beside him. As he did, Soryu stormed over and snatched her darts from the game board. Stepping aside, she growled "Your turn, Blue!"

Ayanami stepped up to the white line marked on the floor and casually launched each of her three darts at the board.

"That's a hundred and two," Ikari noted. "Well done, Ayanami." The first-child nodded in response before retrieving her darts.

"What's my score, Shinji?" the German asked, taking her place at the oche.

"Two hundred and seventeen," the pilot of Unit 01 answered a few moments later after checking the score board.

'_C'mon, Asuka, you can do this,_' she told herself. Taking careful aim, she threw her first dart. '_Nineteen._' The second dart followed moments later. '_Outer bullseye. That's twenty-five._' She took longer to aim her final dart. '_Treble twenty. Wunderbar, that's sixty points._'

"Great shot, Asuka," Ikari commented. "That makes one hundred and four." A smiling second-child reclaimed her darts. "You need eighty-two, Ayanami," the boy said, turning to the red eyed pilot. Without responding, she took her turn.

"Thirty-one," Soryu announced, calculating the blue-haired girl's score. "Bad luck, Rei." The pilot of Unit 00 didn't respond and merely removed her darts from the game board before moving aside.

"You need a hundred and thirteen, Asuka," Shinji told her.

'_Don't see any chance of making that,_' the German thought bitterly. '_Might as well just try to get the best I can._' She took her turn, surprising herself with her score.

"Seventy-six," the third-child related, "leaving you thirty-seven." Asuka took her darts from the board and stood clear of the board. "Ayanami, you need fifty-one to win. Remember, you can only go out on a double, a treble or a bullseye." The pale skinned girl acknowledged him with a nod and turned her attention to the dart board.

First dart – double nineteen.

Second dart – four.

Third dart – eleven.

"Hard luck, Blue. You went over," the redhead said, careful to keep her tone friendly. "That invalidates that turn. Right, Shinji?"

"Afraid so," the boy replied, shrugging. Rei blinked once as she considered this before nodding and reclaiming her darts.

'_Right, thirty-seven,_' the German pondered, considering her the options available to her as she took her place at the oche. She took careful aim, pulled back and…

Beep-beep. Beep-beep. Beep-beep.

The dart flew from the redhead's hand and embedded itself in the wall a short distance to the left of the board.

"Shinji!" Soryu snarled at the sheepish boy as he turned off his watch's alarm.

"Sorry," he responded, a little red-faced, "but that means it's time for the synch-test." He pulled the errant dart free. "We'll have to finish this up later," the boy said, passing it to the German.

"Whatever," Asuka sighed. She walked towards the stairs, dropping her darts on the pool table as she passed. The other two pilots exchanged a puzzled glance. The third-child shrugged and gestured for Ayanami to precede him.

- - -

"Where's Dr. Akagi?" Shinji inquired as he, Asuka and Rei met Lieutenant Hyuga outside the changing rooms. They'd just finished cleaning up after having their synch-test and the boy had been surprised that Ibuki had been in charge instead of the blonde doctor.

"She's at the testing facility in Matsushiro," Makoto told them.

"What the heck is she doing there?" the second-child asked.

The bespectacled technician sighed. "You've heard about the Jet Alone project, haven't you?"

"No," Soryu answered. "What is it?"

"It's an attempt to come up with an alternative to the Eva's," the pilot rep. explained. "The project has tested three models so far and they've all failed. Nerv offered our assistance with the fourth prototype, the Delta Unit."

"Oh," was all Ikari could think of to say.

"And what happens to us if the project succeeds?" Asuka asked.

"To be honest, I don't really know," Hyuga told her, scratching the back of his head. "I guess the robots would take over the defence of the city eventually." He covered his unease at the idea by smiling. "But even if the test succeeds, that's still months away."

- - -

"How goes the development of the auxiliary, wing-mounted batteries?" Viktor Hasan asked of Professor Fuyutski. The current meeting of the Human Instrumentality Committee had just finished reviewing the Angel battles thus far.

"Slowly," Kouzou admitted wearily. "So far we have only been able to extend the Eva's power supply by two hundred and nineteen point seven two seconds. That doesn't compensate for the loss of manoeuvrability the Eva's would experience in using them."

"I'm just wondering if it is really necessary to invest so heavily in something that we have no need of," Megumi Takamura commented, looking across the table.

"We haven't need 'em yet," Louise Daniels drawled, returning the gaze. "Don't mean we won't. Despite the cost, Ah'd rather have 'em and not use 'em than be without."

"Indeed," Lorentz Keele intoned from the head of the table. "Their deployment may yet be crucial to our survival."

"True," Jacque Bouquet agreed. "All indications are that the Angels will continue to become more and more difficult to defeat over time."

"Any word on when Unit 03 will be ready?" Fuyutski enquired.

"Not yet," Louise answered.

"Which is just as well, considering a pilot has yet to be selected," Viktor said.

"A minor formality; one that is easily taken care of," Keele told him. He looked at the American woman. "See to it, and find out when Unit 03 will be ready for testing. The next Angel is due soon. And we will need all the tools available to us if we are to survive to the end."

- - -

Seeing the door to the boy's room slightly ajar, the redhead slowly pushed it open and peered in around it. Ikari was lead on his bed, staring at the ceiling, appearing to be completely lost in thought. Pushing the door open fully, she lightly knocked on the frame. The third-child turned his gaze to her.

"You okay, Shinji?" she asked gently, taking a couple of hesitant steps into the room.

"No," he sighed. "I've been thinking about what Makoto said."

"What about it?" Asuka questioned, walking over to his bed.

"How he doesn't know what would happen to us if that 'Jet Alone' project is successful," Ikari said, turning his eyes back towards his ceiling. He paused for a moment, carefully considering his next words. "What would happen to us if we weren't needed to pilot our Eva's?"

"Don't worry about it," the German old him as reassuringly as she could. "We'd probably just get sent home, that's all."

"That's okay for you to say. You've got a home to go back to. I don't," the third-child said, rather more sharply than he'd intended. "And I don't think Ayanami does either."

"Rei's an orphan as well?" Soryu asked, surprised.

"You didn't know?" the boy responded.

"It's not like she ever talks about herself, is it?"

Ikari sighed. "I guess."

Asuka looked at him, almost as if she were studying his face. "If you're an orphan, who's got custody of you?"

"Nerv, as far as I know," he answered, shrugging. "I mean, they were the ones paying for me to go to the boarding school I used attend."

"And Rei?"

"Far as I know, she's always lived here," the green eyed boy related. "At least since the professor took her in."

- - -

"How's it going?" Maya asked, her left hand clutching the phone to her ear as lazily typed a few commands into the keyboard in front of her.

"Not too bad really," Ritsuko's voice replied. "The chief engineer's a bit suspicious of our motives, but he seems committed to the project."

"That's good, isn't it?" the petite lieutenant responded, pausing in her work.

"As long as he's flexible and open to change."

"Even if he isn't, you'll talk him round," the brunette assured her.

"What makes you say that?" Dr. Akagi questioned.

"You can be very convincing when you want to," her girlfriend told her in a teasing tone.

"Maya!"

"What?" Ibuki said innocently. "You know I'm right." She logged off the console she was using and leant back in her chair. "How long do you think you'll have to stay there?"

"That depends on how many modifications were made to the Delta Unit and not added to the schematics," Akagi told her. "But I shouldn't be more than four weeks, five at the most."

"That long!" Maya complained. She sighed. "But I miss you already."

"I miss you too," the blonde replied her. "How about we go somewhere special when I get back?" she suggested.

"Any place is special if I'm with you," the lieutenant said. "Guess that makes me a cheap date, huh?" she commented a few moments later.

"When it comes to keeping you happy, money doesn't matter," Ritsuko said.

"Well, how abou-" the brunette started, but was cut off by the sound of a siren. "Angel alarm," she informed her lover needlessly. "Gotta go. I'll call you later."

"Okay. I love you, Maya."

"You too," Ibuki responded before hanging up and running out of the doctor's office, heading for the command centre.

- - -

"Excuse me, doctor," Sascha called as he spotted Akagi walk passed him. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked as he began to follow her.

"I'm afraid it'll have to wait," the blonde told him without stopping or looking back. A mixed group of Nerv and Jet Alone personnel rush passed.

"What's going on?" the engineer enquired as a straggler brushed passed him.

"There's an Angel attack in progress," Ritsuko informed him calmly.

"Here!" Wisztreich exclaimed, panic gripping him.

"No, Tokyo-3," the doctor replied, finally stopping and looking at him. "There are screens set up in the mess hall if you'd like to watch."

"Where are you going?" Sascha asked as he noticed her moving off again, away from the mess hall.

Akagi stopped and peered over her shoulder at him. "I'm going to be monitoring the battle from my office," she informed him before continuing on her way.

- - -

Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Shinji clambered into Unit 01's waiting entry-plug. Wriggling into the seat to get as comfortable as he could, he gently grasped the controls and closed his eyes.

The lid slid into place and he heard a voice say "Filling the entry-plug," as the cockpit filled with LCL. Pushing away the slight panic he felt at the idea of being submersed in liquid, he forced himself to breathe deeply and evenly. Fighting the gag reflex, he willed himself to allow the yellow fluid to fill his lungs. There was a slight jolting and the sensation of moving as the plug was inserted into the Eva.

"Electrolysing the LCL," a male voice said. A few moments later, after the tingling on his exposed face had died down, the boy opened his eyes. He blinked a few times, shaking his head slightly to clear the woozy feeling he unaccountably felt.

"Something… feels wrong," he murmured, a frown wrinkling his brow. His forehead began to throb slightly and he reached up with his right hand to massage it.

- - -

"Sir!" Shigeru shouted over the usual noise in the command centre, an urgency in his voice. "Registering a code three-nine-two system failure in Unit 01."

"That shouldn't be possible. At least, not yet," the professor muttered to himself. "Shut it down," he ordered, "and eject the entry-plug."

"Yes, sir," Aoba responded, inputting the relevant commands.

"Doctor Akagi?" Kouzou called.

"I am monitoring," the blonde's voice said over the command centre's intercom. "If Lieutenant Ibuki will open a channel to the Magi, I'll begin an analysis."

"Lieutenant."

"Establishing up-link to Matsushiro now, sir," Maya said, her hands dancing over her console.

"What's the status of the other Eva's?" Fuyutski enquired.

"Eva Units 00 and 02 are on-line and standing by," the long-haired technician informed him.

"Captain."

"Launch Eva's," the lavender-haired woman ordered.

- - -

"Hey, chief!" a voice called over the chatter in the mess hall as Sascha entered the room. Looking around, he spotted a member of his team waving at him. Weaving through the throng he made his way to him. "Saved ya a seat," the engineer told him, scooting over to make room.

Wisztreich mumbled his thanks as he sat down and looked at the nearest screen. "So that's an Angel," he said to himself.

"That's what they say," the female technician sat to his left said. He looked at her and she smiled warmly at him. "Don't care what you say though, it sure is pretty."

"I suppose so," Sascha replied, casting his eyes back to the screen and taking a closer look at the image of the attacker. It had the shape of a four pointed star and was hovering about fifteen to twenty foot above the ground, or so he estimated. It was pale blue in colour with a glowing green halo around the uppermost point and had what appeared to be a black orb-shaped protuberance in its centre.

"You nervous, chief?" the engineer who'd spoken earlier asked seriously. Wisztreich looked to his right and looked at the man. He appeared concerned, and he had every right to be.

"A little," Sascha admitted. "But I'd rather focus on the chance to see those Evangelions that Nerv is so proud of in action."

"Should be interesting," the man responded, nodding.

"I wonder which one's they'll use," the technician wondered aloud. "The purple, orange or red?"

"Well," the engineer replied, looking past Sascha at the woman, "they've used the purple one-"

"Unit 01," Wisztreich clarified, interrupting.

"Right, Unit 01," the man responded, nodding at his superior in thanks. "Well, as I was saying, they've used Unit 01 in every engagement so far. So that one's a safe bet. But as for the red and the orange-"

"Units 02 and 00," Sascha said, interrupting him again."

"Well, they could use either," the engineer shrugged.

"They didn't use Unit 00 during the last battle, did they?" the female technician asked.

"No," Wisztreich answered. "It was damaged during the battle before that. And the last battle was Unit 02's first."

"It's a pity there's no sound," the engineer commented.

"Not that we'd hear anything in this din," the woman to Sascha's left added, sighing.

"Pipe down," someone said from behind them. "They're launching."

- - -

The second-child tightened Unit 02's grip on the progressive lance it carried as she stared at the Angel. The fact that this would be the first Angel battle in which Shinji Ikari would not participate both thrilled and frightened her.

'_Maybe because he's the most experienced pilot,_' she considered. Something she expected to bother her but, for some reason, it didn't. She cast the red mechanoid's gaze around sector twelve. It was an old residential area, with few tall buildings, three or four storeys being the norm. '_No cover,_' she realised. '_And no close by support buildings either._'

"Units 00 and 02, advance on the target," Captain Katsuragi ordered, interrupted the redhead's ruminations. "Expand your AT Fields and be prepared. As yet, we don't know how this Angel will attack."

"Yes, captain," Ayanami's calm voice responded over the comm. system.

"I hear you," Soryu replied.

- - -

The two Evangelions began to slowly advance on the Angel. At first there was no reaction. Then, as they got close to the firing range of the pallet rifle Unit 00 carried, the Angel began to float upwards. By the time they were within range, the Angel was too high for Unit 02 to be able to attack it with the lance it carried.

- - -

Asuka stared up at the Angel, her face contorted into a snarl. "How the Hölle am I supposed to attack it now!" she exclaimed, her voice low. She looked at Unit 00. "Hey, Rei, that thing in range?"

"The Angel is within firing range," Rei answered calmly.

"Then fire at the damned thing already!" the German told her, suppressing a growl.

"I have not been given the order to take any offensive action," the first-child informed her.

"Oh, just shoot the verdammte thing!" Soryu snapped angrily.

"Unit 00, open fire," Katsuragi ordered, her voice empty off all emotion, although the redhead was fairly certain that the director of Operations was as frustrated as she was with the blue-haired girl.

"Yes, captain," Ayanami responded.

- - -

The orange Evangelion stopped its advance and raised the pallet rifle in its hands. It paused for a few moments as its pilot took aim at the airborne target. Just as the robot's finger began to move on the trigger, the black orb on the Angel emitted as blinding light, startling and dazzling both the pilots and the staff in the command centre.

- - -

"Switch to tactical!" Katsuragi ordered loudly as she used her hands to block out the glare from the main screen. The light disappeared and the captain rubbed her eyes, blinking repeatedly to clear them.

"Deactivate the Eva's optical sensors!" the professor shouted, wiping tears from his eyes.

"Yes, sir," Lieutenant Aoba responded, typing in the necessary commands.

"Rei, Asuka, are you two alright?" Kouzou asked.

"I am uninjured," the first-child responded calmly.

"I'll be fine," Asuka told him, adding quietly "as soon as my eyes stop watering." She sighed. "So how the Hölle are we supposed to fight something we can't see?" she questioned, sounding upset.

"Switch the entry-plug displays to tactical," the lavender-haired captain ordered.

"Supplement it with thermal imaging," Fuyutski instructed.

"Done, sir," Shigeru informed his superiors.

"Unit 00, you will proceed as ordered," Misato told Rei.

"Yes, captain," Ayanami responded.

Makoto watched his console carefully as the data from the surface was relayed to it. He watched as the sensors tracked the shells from the pallet rifle towards the Angel and sighed when the data showed that they had not penetrated its AT Field.

"No effect, sir," he announced. "The shells are unable to pierce the Angel's AT Field."

"Do we possess any weapon that can?" Katsuragi enquired.

"Well, theoretically, the positron rifle should," Maya informed the captain, turning her chair so she could look at the purple-haired woman, "but we haven't had a chance to field-test it yet."

"Are any modifications needed before it can be used?" the grey-haired professor asked her.

"No, sir," Ibuki answered. "But, sir, I should point out that there is no guarantee it will work."

"Noted, lieutenant," Kouzou said, "but we don't have any real alternative. Get it the surface as soon as possible."

- - -

"C'mon, c'mon, where is that thing?" Asuka muttered impatiently, drumming her fingers on the control yoke. It had been ten minutes since the professor had ordered the positron rifle sent to the surface and the redhead was still waiting. It had been decided that, since Rei carried a pallet rifle, that the second-child would be the one to utilise the experimental weapon. '_Not really sure if I should be insulted by that or not._' A siren sounding distracted her and the hatch in the ground before her slid open.

"Finally," the German murmured as the carriage carrying the positron rifle came to a stop in front of her. Taking hold of the control carriage, she made Unit 02 reach out and pick it up. Placing the butt against the robot's right shoulder, she raised it and turned to aim at the Angel.

"Targeting systems online," a technician's voice announced over the comm. system; it was a voice Asuka didn't recognise. A viewfinder swung down from behind the headrest on the control seat.

"Initiating charge build up," and second voice said. "Forty-five seconds until full power."

"Compensation for gravity calculated at point zero one," the first voice informed her.

"Pressure in the firing chamber approaching optimum," a third unknown voice intoned.

"Target lock confirmed," the second-child said as the two crosshairs displayed on the viewfinder locked together and changed from red to green.

"Positron rifle at full power," the second voice announced.

"Release remote safety locks," Captain Katsuragi's voice ordered. The fine green rim to the viewfinder's display changed from green to red. "Unit 02, fire when ready."

"Roger that," Soryu responded and pulled the trigger.

- - -

"The charge was insufficient to penetrate the Angel's AT Field," Hyuga announced.

"Is there anyway to increase the output?" Katsuragi inquired, looking at Akagi's assistant.

The petite brunette swung her chair around and shook her head. "Not at this time," she said.

"Captain!" Makoto called, a frown on his face.

"What is it, lieutenant?" the lavender-haired woman questioned, walking over to his position.

"I was running a quick analysis on the data we've gathered on the Angel and I noticed something," the bespectacled technician informed her. "Each time the Angel was attacked, it strengthened its AT Field at the point of impact."

"How does that help us?" Katsuragi asked.

"Well, I also noticed that the field on the other side of the Angel weakened," he explained. "Like it's diverting power to protect itself."

"Could the positron rifle penetrate the AT Field if it hadn't been reinforced?"

"One moment," Hyuga muttered, checking the figures. "Possibly, but I couldn't guarantee it."

The director of Operations crossed her arms and turned around, walking slowly towards the back of the chamber. She had her head down and a frown on her brow. She turned back to Lieutenant Hyuga. "How much decrease in the rear of the AT Field was there when the pallet rifle was used?"

Makoto called up the data. "Approximately seven point nine two percent."

"Could the positron rifle penetrate that?"

"It should," the bespectacled lieutenant informed her.

"Alright, pilots, listen up," the captain ordered. "We're going to use a two-pronged attack. Unit 00, remain in position and target the Angel."

"Yes, captain," Ayanami responded.

"Unit 02," Misato continued, "relocate so you can target the opposite side of the Angel to Unit 00 and take aim."

"Yes, ma'am," the second-child's voice said cheerfully. A few moments later she said "Unit 02, in position and target locked."

"Status of the positron rifle?" Katsuragi requested.

"Standing by at full power," one of the technicians informed her. "Remote safety locks are in place."

"Disengage them," the captain ordered.

"Safety locks released," came the reply a few moments later.

"Unit 00, on my word you will open fire on the Angel and you will not cease until I give the order. Understood?" she told the blue-haired girl.

"Your orders are understood, captain," Rei responded.

"Unit 02, you will fire at the Angel when I give you the command, not before. Is that understood?"

"Completely," Asuka told her.

"Unit 00, open fire."

"Confirmed," the pilot responded.

"AT Field strength at the point of impact now at one hundred and seven point nine eight percent," Makoto announced, looking up from his console. "Rear of field at ninety-two point zero two percent and holding.

"Unit 02, fire!"

- - -

The beam from the positron rifle shot towards the Angel, meeting and cutting through the AT Field before hitting the orb in the centre of the attacker. The blinding light faded.

- - -

"Energy build up in the Angel detected!" Makoto yelled.

"Eva's, withdraw immediately," Katsuragi ordered.

- - -

The green halo was glowing with more intensity, becoming brighter and brighter as the two Evangelions began to hurry away from it. The Angel began to emit high pitched whine, growing louder. A few seconds later, it exploded, the force of the blast sending both robots flying.

- - -

Soryu blinked her eyes open. '_Where am I? Am I dead?_' she wondered, but quickly discounted that idea due to the thunderous ache in her head. She gingerly sat up, looking around herself. '_The infirmary,_' she told herself. '_I'm in the infirmary._' To one side she saw Rei, lying unconscious in the bed next to hers, with a bandage on her head. She heard the door open and looked over to see Dr. Brahms enter.

"Ah, good, you're awake," he smiled at her.

"Yeah, but I feel like I've got someone playing a kettledrum in my head," she told him, rubbing her forehead.

"I'll get a nurse to get you some aspirin," Aaron said.

"Thanks. What happened?"

"I'm told the Angel exploded after you killed it," he related, walking over to her bed. "Both you and Rei were out when they found you."

"Am I okay?" the redhead asked, shifting back in the bed so she could sit up with her back against the headboard.

"Well, you bumped your head pretty hard – you've been out for about four hours – but apart from that, you're fine," the doctor assured her. "Once that headache's gone I'll give you a quick once-over to make sure. As long as that's clear, you can go back to the dorm."

The second-child nodded. "What about Rei?" she enquired, jerking her thumb at the blue-haired girl.

"She came off a little worse than you. She gashed her head open on the control carriage, fractured her skull – hairline fracture, nothing to worry about – and there's a chance she picked up a concussion, but I doubt it."

"Yeah, Blue sure does have a hard head," Asuka joked.

"Blue?" Aaron frowned. "Oh, I get it. Because of her hair. Clever." He chuckled weakly.

"Can I get that aspirin now?" she asked.

"Sure," he said, heading for the door.

- - -

"What's the status of the Eva's?" Akagi asked.

"Unit 02 picked up a few minor dents and scorch marks, nothing really serious," Fuyutski's voice answered. "No real need to clean it up except pride." He sighed. "Unit 00 came off the worst. The heat from the blast buckled several pieces of armour, and a piece of shrapnel sliced into its spinal nerve trunk."

"How's Rei?" Ritsuko inquired, taking her glasses off.

"Unknown, she hasn't regained consciousness yet."

"So there is a chance of nerve damage?"

"A very real chance, yes," the professor admitted. "As far as Asuka and Shinji are concerned though, she only cracked her head open on the control carriage," he added.

"Possible concussion," the blonde muttered thoughtfully, placing her glasses down on the desk. "Which would explain any unusual behaviour she may exhibit when she comes round. Good cover story." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "And Brahms?"

"Behaving himself," he told her. "Which is just as well considering what's at stake. How are things progressing with the Delta Unit?" the commander's voice asked her.

"As expected. Wisztreich isn't as obstinate as I thought he would be," she commented, leaning back in her chair and drumming her fingers on the desk.

"How long until you have to install the plug?" her superior inquired.

"About four weeks," the blonde related.

"Good. And Unit 01?

"I couldn't find anything to explain the failure," Ritsuko sighed, stopping her fingers. "I've got the Lieutenant Ibuki running a full systems analysis and diagnostic on it." She pulled over a folder and began leafing through it. "Every bit of hard- and software is being tested electronically and by hand. One way or the other, we'll find the problem."

To be continued…

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**Author Notes –**  
I cannot apologise enough for how long it has taken me to get this chapter up. I won't bore you with the details, but suffice to say there have been a few changes in my life. That, combined with the fact that my imagination is constantly giving me ideas for completely different stories, has caused the long delay. Hopefully the next chapter will be up within a couple of months, but I can't make any guarantees.

**Original Characters**  
Sascha Wisztreich – chief engineer, Delta Unit

**German translations –**  
Verdammte – damned  
Hölle – hell  
Wunderbar - wonderful


End file.
